Storm Clouds
by Natalie Elizabeth
Summary: She knew he could kill a person 10 different ways in his novels, she never thought Richard Castle could do it in real life. Can Beckett deal with the fact that her favorite author may really be a murderer and another young girl will have to live her life without a mother? AU
1. Kimble

50!

This is my 50th fanfic story.

Oh my wow.

* * *

><p>Authors Note: Hi all so for my 50th story I decided I wanted to do something different. I decided to write an AU story. For those who don't know an AU or Alternate universe story means that things are going to be a little different. You might have the same characters or themes but they are twisted into a different story.<p>

Now some people hate Au stories. That's fine. I have read some that are fantastic. I have also read some horrible ones. With this story, my other stories, heck even other people's stories remember one thing.

Reviews are there not only for you to express your feelings but to help the author.

If you don't like a story, that's fine you can say that. But say why? And no "because its stupid" isn't a valid reason. Go into depth. Perhaps the story is unbelievable or characters are out of character(Although you have to understand if you are reading an au story there is a good chance that's done for a reason). If the author needs a beta or the story doesn't flow well then point it out nicely. Insulting an author helps no one. Remember no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to read a story. mean words can effect an author just as much as kind ones. Being mean or offensive can cause an author to stop writing therefore depriving the rest of us the joy of reading their work and deprive them of sharing something magical with the world. Even if you don't think so.

So think before you review but I do encourage you to review.

* * *

><p><em>Storm Clouds<em>

_By_

_Natalie Elizabeth_

Richard Castle opened the door to his apartment with a spring in his step. He was in a good mood, which was unusual for him for him; especially considering his ex was in town. His first ex-wife Meredith, not his second, Gina. Well technically, they both were in town, and both had the potential to give him grief.

Gina was not only his ex-wife but his publisher. She was always on his back, and put him in a bad mood. It had been too long since he had written anything publishable. He was worried that he was burned out. The raging fire that was once Richard Castle, Master of the Macabre, had been doused by boredom. Derrick Storm, the character he had developed what seemed like a life time ago had become predictable and boring. So he had killed him off, thus pissing off numerous fans and his second ex-wife.

He had a plan though. He was going to create a new character. Someone hard-core. A character that kicked ass and took names. Except a two line character synopsis was all he could manage in character development. So he had decided to take a break from writing, something he never did, but that had been the point. He needed to get out of his comfort zone. So he had travelled the world while his daughter Alexis had been off at school. Snorkelling in the South Pacific, cruising the Milford Sound in New Zealand, climbing a coat hanger in Australia, yet still he lacked inspiration. Yes, he had met a variety of people and had made notes in his journals, but they would make great secondary characters or killers. He needed a leading man and he had come up dry.

So he had been getting more and more miserable. It wasn't as if money was a problem. He had made millions of dollars on his previous novels and invested wisely. The thing was he loved writing. Or, at least he had. Writing had started to feel like work, and that was something he never did.

Except he wasn't going to think about writing tonight, he was going to think about making his daughter dinner. He walked into his small kitchen and began unloading his groceries. The apartment was small but cosy. It was meant to be temporary after he had split from his second wife, Gina. Yet it suited their needs, so there was never any real reason to move. He was thinking differently now. Maybe it was the small confined space that was causing him to be blocked. A large open loft might be on the cards. After Meredith left, he'd talk to Alexis about maybe finding somewhere new to live. He didn't want to bombard his daughter with too many new things.

Her mother being in New York when she said she would be was something new for Alexis, him too. A few months ago Meredith had started changing, and for the better. She had starting making regular calls and emails to his daughter. He had been surprised to get a call from her just asking how their daughter was. There was no ulterior motive, she was generally interested. She had called three weeks ago saying she was coming for a visit after she finished up an acting job. He had naturally been sceptical; it wasn't the first time Meredith had said she was coming, then never showed up. Meredith stuck to her word, she arrived and on time. She was staying for a week and had even booked herself into a hotel.

In the past when she had visited it had been spontaneous and she had expected to stay with them. Well, really with him, in his bed. In the past he had indulged her, but that had been years ago. She had on more than one occasion tried to get him to change his mind. He ended up sleeping on the floor of his daughter's room, giving his ex-wife his bed. Sleeping on the couch was too easy for Meredith to make a midnight rendezvous.

Yet not this time. He had seen her hotel room but not for any other reason than to pick her up for dinner. Usually he tried to avoid time with his ex and had every intention of doing just that. Meredith hadn't even pushed for more than just spending time with Alexis. The pair had been out for lunch, shopping, even a movie. Meredith had been putting in a huge effort and there seemed to be no ulterior motive. So he had invited her out to dinner, with Alexis of course. Then Alexis had suggested they all meet up for a walk in Central Park the following day. He had reluctantly agreed, worried his daughter was playing match maker. It turned out she wasn't, and Meredith had even laughed at the thought. She had moved on and was looking toward the future.

Tonight Meredith was meeting up with old friends, but would be coming over tomorrow night for board game night. That would be interesting but he had agreed to it anyway. Meredith wouldn't be here for long and it was what his baby girl wanted.

Tonight, however, was daddy daughter night. She had gone to a friend's house after school to study and then she was coming home. To lasagne, if he ever got his act together. Opening up the fridge to grab garlic and onion to sauté for the sauce, Castle frowned when he heard a buzzing sound coming from his bedroom. Closing the fridge, he walked over to his bedroom. Had he left his alarm clock on snooze instead of turning it off completely? It wouldn't be the first time he had done that. His neighbours had wanted to kill him and it had cost him quite a few tickets to the theatre and ball games to smooth thing over.

Castle walked over to his room and pushed the door open. He froze at the sight before him. Meredith was lying on his bed. Shaking his head, Castle gritted his teeth. No, this couldn't be happening. He had been so sure his ex-wife was serious about being a mother and letting go of their relationship. Now here she was in his bed. He was going to wring her neck.

"Meredith."

Meredith didn't move. Castle rubbed a hand over his face. He hated dealing with his ex-wife when she was being stubborn.

"Come on Meredith. Get out of here. Alexis will be home soon. Do you want her to find you in here and have her think this past week was all a sham?"

She still didn't move.

"Meredith."

Castle then looked at his ex-wife's shirt. It was red. Bright red. Meredith didn't like wearing red because she said it clashed with her hair. Taking a few steps closer, Castle gasped. It wasn't a red shirt it was blood.

"Meredith," Castle yelled as he ran towards the bed.

His hand was at her throat immediately. No pulse. He scanned over her chest there was so much blood and her chest wasn't rising and falling. Kneeling on the bed, he grabbed his ex-wife's head in his hands and quickly gave a few short quick breaths into her mouth. He then clasped his hands together and placed them on Meredith's chest and began doing compressions.

"NYPD open up."

Castle turned at the sound of pounding at his door.

"In here. I need help," he yelled before returned to his compressions.

"NYPD. Open up."

He couldn't leave Meredith, he had to keep trying to revive her. Hearing the sound of splitting wood, Castle was surprised that they actually did that in real life.

"I'm in here. I need a paramedic."

Castle felt Meredith's throat for a pulse again.

"Step away from the body scumbag."

Castle turned around surprised to see several guns pointed at him.

"Ahhhh."

"Did you hear me Scuz Bucket? Get your hands up and step away from the victim."

Castle raised his hands. "Okay. Okay. But you have to help her. She doesn't have a pulse. I've been trying to give her CPR but I don't know if I am doing it right?"

"Isn't that how you like them? Not breathing."

"What?" Castle asked confused. "No. What? I didn't do this. I found her like that. Someone else did this to her. You have to help her."

"Paramedics are on the way. Now step away from the body."

Castle kept his hands raised as he stepped away from his bed.

"I didn't kill my ex-wife."

* * *

><p>Thank you readers, writers and friends. You have no idea how you have changed my life and for the better.<p> 


	2. One Arm Man

Thank you so much for the awesome response. I'll admit to feeling a bit iffy about posting an AU.

Warning characters may be a bit out of character in this chapter. I guess that's why it is AU.

If you want a vague idea on time line I say Season 3 ish. Its AU but at least you will get an idea on Alexis age and Becketts hair length. LOL

This is my first attempt at a fic with a "case/ murder" in it so bare with me.

Thanks to Anne for being my Beta and making my work better

Previously on _Storm Clouds_

"_Step away from the body scumbag."_

_Castle turned around surprised to see several guns pointed at him._

"_Okay. Okay. But you have to help her. She doesn't have a pulse. I've been trying to give her CPR but I don't know if I am doing it right?"_

"_Paramedics are on the way. Now step away from the body."_

_Castle kept his hands raised as he stepped away from his bed._

"_I didn't kill my ex-wife."_

Chapter 2

Detective Kate Beckett poured herself a cup of tar. That was the only way to describe the black sludge the 12th precinct passed off as coffee. She added a few sugars, not that it would help. If it wasn't for the fact that she needed the caffeine hit, she wouldn't even bother. She craved an overpriced coffee from a coffee shop with tons and tons of whipped cream on top. It had been a long few days, but finally their killer was behind bars. In just a few hours she could go home and relax. Taking a reluctant sip of her coffee, Beckett walked out of the break room and suddenly felt a change. She looked at everyone in the room and wondered what was going on. They were gathered together in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. A few had their cell phones out, but they all seemed to be looking towards the elevator.

Beckett walked over to her two partners Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan. She was in charge of the two men, but at times she felt more like their mother.

"Hey guys. What's going on? Did we get a pay rise?"

"I wish," Ryan told her. "Do you have any idea how much a wedding costs?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. Ryan might complain about the cost of the wedding in front of his partner, but soon as Esposito was out of hearing distance, Ryan was running over with magazines asking her opinion. Not that she knew anything about weddings.

"So what's going on then?" she asked again.

"Slaughter is bringing in some celebrity. The guy was found standing over his wife's body." Esposito told her as he turned back to his desk and continued on with his paperwork.

Beckett rolled her eyes again. Slaughter. Hate was a strong word that she usually only reserved for criminals, but she truly hated Detective Slaughter. Three months ago he had been transferred to the 12th. He'd had issues at his previous precinct and Beckett wasn't surprised. Within seconds of meeting him, he had hit on her. It wasn't unusual; she hadn't fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch, guys hit on her. What guys usually didn't do is insult her when she told them no. Slaughter hadn't been happy and started making assumptions about her sexuality and asked it was hard to walk with a stick shoved in a very uncomfortable place. Since then they always butted heads. Slaughter wanted to close cases just like she did, but their methods were different.

"I can't wait to see who it is," Ryan asked eagerly. "Who has been in the media lately for arguing with their wife?"

Beckett raised her brows at Ryan. He was a bit of a fan boy and loved it when celebrities came into the precinct. Ryan had a stack of pictures of himself with celebrities in handcuffs. He had a rule though; if they were guilty, he got rid of the pictures.

The elevator dinged and a man came stumbling out. His hands were behind his back, she assumed cuffed. The unknown man would have hit the ground if it hadn't been for Slaughter grabbing the back of his shirt. As the man was pulled back up, Beckett's eyes connected with startling blue ones.

"Get in the interrogation room," Slaughter ordered as he pushed the man down the hall. "In there, Richard Kimble."

"My name is Richard..."

"Castle," Beckett finished, stunned.

"Wow. That really is Richard Castle," Ryan exclaimed.

"The author Beckett has a crush on?" Esposito asked.

Beckett turned to look at her partners. "I don't have a crush on him."

Esposito scoffed. "Yeah, right. I have been to your apartment, remember. You have all of his books on display front and centre. You practically had a heart attack when I went to remove one of his books that you had in a plastic case."

Beckett gritted her teeth. Why was it she had invited her partner over to her apartment? Baseball, that was why. His TV was broken, so she had offered to have him over. She was going to be watching the game after all. Well, she wasn't going to be making that offer again anytime soon.

"The book is one of his earlier works, and it's hard to find. Besides, it was signed which makes it more valuable. The case is practically indestructible."

"You planning on having your apartment blow up?" Esposito asked.

Beckett shrugged. "You never know."

The three detectives turned around when they heard yelling coming from the interrogation room. So did quite a few officers in the precinct.

"Wait. I thought you said that a celebrity had murdered his wife."

"I wouldn't exactly call Richard Castle a celebrity," Esposito told her as he went back to his paperwork.

Beckett turned to face her petulant partner. "No, what I mean is he doesn't have a wife. He isn't married, at least not anymore. His second marriage ended a few years ago and he hasn't been dating anyone."

Esposito laughed. "Well look at you. I thought Ryan was the little fan girl."

"It's public knowledge Espo."

Esposito raised a brow at her. "Yeah, if you surf the fan pages."

Beckett shook her head. She so wasn't dealing with him tonight. "If he doesn't have a wife, then who is he suspected of killing?"

"Let's find out," Ryan told her as he went running off to the viewing area of the interrogation room.

Beckett watched Ryan run off, then turned to look at Esposito. He was smiling at her.

"Well, aren't you interested?" she asked him as she stalked over to the viewing area.

She walked in and cringed at the yelling.

"You killed her, didn't you."

"No. I told you I didn't." The author insisted.

"Really. You write about death all the time: maybe writing wasn't enough for you anymore." Slaughter began to circle his prey. "Did you pull out a gun to add a bit excitement to your sex life, and the gun just went off?"

"She was shot?"

"Oh, don't act like you don't know." Slaughter told him.

"I told you I didn't kill Meredith."

Beckett gasped. Meredith.

Ryan turned towards her. "What?"

Beckett shook her head. "It's nothing. It's just Meredith is his first ex-wife."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Esposito asked as he entered the viewing area.

Beckett bit her lip and lowered her head. "He umm. He has a daughter with his first ex-wife."

Darkness started to sweep over her. A young girl was now without her mother, and her father was a suspect in her murder.

"I didn't kill my ex wife."

"I don't care."

"Who are you? Tommy Lee Jones or something?"

Slaughter scoffed and sat back in his chair. "That depends. Are you going to tell me it was the one-armed man who killed your wife?"

"Ex-wife. We have been divorced for over ten years. I have no reason to kill her."

Beckett turned to her two partners. "What do we know about this case?"

Her partners raised their brows at her.

"What? Something isn't adding up here. What else do we know?"

They shrugged and then walked out of the room. She was about to go after them when she saw them approach another officer. Good: they were looking into to it for her

Beckett looked at the man sitting in the interrogation room. Often suspects sat in the chair, levelling the detectives a smug look. They all denied committing the crime, but none looked as scared as the author sitting in the interrogation room.

"Where is my lawyer? I want to see my lawyer."

"Your lawyer will be here soon pretty boy, but once they get here, I can't help you. Come on, admit to killing her. Maybe a judge will go easy on you."

"I am not saying anything else."

"You just did. Not very bright for an author."

Beckett shook her head. Slaughter was an ass, and she couldn't listen to it any more. She walked out of the viewing area and walked over to her desk.

"Hey, Beckett. I talked to an officer who was at the scene and Esposito called Lanie." Ryan told her as he walked over to her desk. He had his notebook out just as if he were at a crime scene.

"And?" Beckett inquired. Lanie was a medical examiner and her friend. She was also Esposito's girlfriend. Something that the two had tried to hide from her and Ryan. It had been funny watching the two of them trying to hide their relationship with excuses about where they were and who they were texting.

"Well, apparently there was a 911 call saying there was the sound of a gunshot coming from the apartment. When officers arrived, they found him standing over the body. He had blood on his hands, he says he was trying to revive the victim."

Beckett nodded. That was definitely possible.

"And Lanie."

"Lanie didn't work the case," Espo told her as he walked over. "Perlmutter did."

Beckett groaned. Perlmutter was a good ME, but there was definitely a reason why he worked with dead people.

"So, did Lanie know anything?"

"No, but she did some digging when I told her who the suspect was. She says you owe her one for making her talk to Perlmutter."

Beckett rolled her eyes. Great ,now there were three of her friends giving her grief over the author.

"And?"

"The victim was shot, but your boy there has no gunshot residue on his hands or his clothes."

"Well see, doesn't that tell you something?" she asked her partners.

Ryan shook his head. "All it means is that he washed and changed his clothes. Come on Beckett, don't act like a rookie."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Richard Castle is a crime writer, guys. He knows how to plan a murder and get away with it. If a murder occurs but there isn't a body, then did it even occur? His first move would have been to dispose of the body, then get cleaned up."

"I guess," Esposito told her.

"Aren't you just grasping at straws?" Ryan gave her a sympathetic look.

Yes, she was grasping. She was grasping because she couldn't believe a man like Richard Castle could do something so heinous. He was a celebrity, sure, but he was more than that to her. She had started reading his books when she was going through a very traumatic time in her life. When she ran out of his books, she went online and researched him. There were a bunch of fan sites out there that had her wanting to send out restraining orders to these random people. Then there was his official site where all his book signings and links to videos of interviews were. That was where she hung out. She stalked the chat section for quite some time, not wanting to interact with obsessed fans. When one fan had posted a huge spiel that the murder from the latest Storm novel wasn't realistic, Beckett had jumped in, with all guns blazing. She admitted to being involved in law enforcement, and proceeded to go into detail about why it was in fact possible. Since then she often logged in and discussed various things with other fans. There were some she stayed away from, but once she waded through the nut jobs there were actually quite a lot of normal people on there, like her. Not only that, but the man himself often weighed in on some of the conversations. She had wasted hours reading over everything he wrote online and on the page. He could kill a person on paper but there was no way he could do it in real life. If only she could talk to him.

"Hey Beckett," Beckett looked up and saw Ryan was pointing behind her.

She turned to see Slaughter had left the interrogation room and was talking to an officer. Beckett turned to her two partners. "I'm going in. I want one of you in the viewing area, and the other keeping an eye on Slaughter."

"But Beckett."

Beckett waved them off and quickly snuck into the interrogation room. She quietly closed the door as to not draw attention to anyone outside the room. He was slumped over with his head on his hands.

"Hi Mr Castle, I'm Detective Beckett."

"Drop the Mr bit," he told her.

Beckett nodded as she pulled out the chair. "Okay then, Castle."

He looked up at her and frowned. "What, are we playing bad cop, hot cop now?"

Beckett gritted her teeth. Please please please don't let her be wrong about this man.

"Listen Castle. I only have a short amount of time here."

"And let me guess, you can't help me if I don't talk to you."

Beckett sighed. Slaughter had given him the same line.

"Can we contact anyone for you?" Beckett asked.

He frowned at her. "What?"

"Is there anyone you want us to contact for you? Friends? Family?"

"My daughter got home just as they were taking me out. They said someone would bring her here."

Beckett nodded. "Okay. Well, I don't know if she is here or not, but I can look into it for you. Anyone else?"

Castle shrugged. "There is no one else apart from my mother, and she is at some actors retreat in Vermont. They have no phone or internet access."

Beckett took out a pad and pen and placed it on the table. She then pushed it over to him. "Write down all the details you have on where she is and I'll have someone track her down for you."

He blinked at her a few times before grabbing the pen and quickly began writing. When he was finished he pushed it towards her. Beckett tore off the page and stood up and placed the paper against the mirrored glass. She waited a few seconds then released it when she heard a slight tapping noise. Walking back to the desk, she sat back down again.

"Okay, look I know you want to wait until your lawyer gets here, and that's fine. However, the sooner we know the facts, the sooner we can get the real killer off the streets."

"The real killer?" he asked shocked. "You mean you believe me?"

"You are killing my patience here, Castle. In a few seconds, Slaughter is going to come back in here and pull his I think I'm a bad ass cop routine. Once that happens, I'm out of here. This is his case, and I shouldn't even be in here. But I am, so I need you to tell me what you can and quickly."

He nodded at her. "Umm okay. I came home to make dinner and I guess Meredith was already there, dead. I went into my room and I found her. I tried to give her CPR and that's when the police broke into my home and arrested me."

"Okay. How long were you home before you found her?"

Castle shrugged. "Umm, maybe five minutes, ten at the most. I was making dinner for my daughter when I heard a noise."

"A noise?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. There was this noise so I went to investigate."

"And that's when the police came in."

"Yes."

Beckett heard a tapping at the window. She turned and sent a glare to her comrade behind the glass. The tapping continued so she figured it might be important.

"I'll be back."

Castle nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."


	3. The Mother In Me

_Previously on Storm Clouds_

"_You are killing my patience here, Castle. In a few seconds, Slaughter is going to come back in here and pull his I think I'm a bad ass cop routine. Once that happens, I'm out of here. This is his case, and I shouldn't even be in here. But I am, so I need you to tell me what you can and quickly."_

* * *

><p>Beckett stormed out of interrogation.<p>

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked Ryan and Esposito who met her just outside the room. "Something drew him into the room just as the police arrived. That sounds a bit too coincidental to me, and you know how I don't believe in coincidences."

"Arggg Beckett, you know this isn't our case," Esposito told her.

Beckett nodded. "I realise that Espo, but I became a cop to seek justice, not to put innocent men away. Get an officer to look for some kind of bug or something. They wouldn't have been looking for it when they first went over the scene. If we're lucky, the real murderer left a print or some evidence behind."

The two men nodded at her as she turned to re-enter the interrogation room.

"Beckett, there's something else."

She turned to look at them and that was when she heard the muffled sound of someone yelling. Beckett looked in the direction of the other interrogation room.

"Is Slaughter interrogating another suspect?"

Ryan winced. "Not exactly. The daughter arrived."

Beckett frowned trying to understand what was going on. Why was Slaughter yelling at the victim's daughter? Beckett walked over to the interrogation room and threw open the door.

"Your father killed your mother, didn't he? The rich boy didn't get his way and put a bullet in her, didn't he?"

The young redhead in the room shook her head. Her eyes were red and there were tear stains on her cheeks. Beckett nearly exploded at the sight before her.

"No it isn't possible."

"Slaughter," Beckett interrupted walking into the room. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Stay out of this Beckett. This is my case."

"She's a victim, not a suspect."

"She's whatever I say she is, now get out." He told her again.

"No," she stood her ground. No way was she going to let this idiot attack Castle's daughter.

"Beckett, get your sweet ass out of here."

Beckett narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "You got a problem? Go see Montgomery. Before I do." She threatened.

Slaughter stood up and walked passed her, slamming his shoulders into her own as he exited. Beckett watched as he stalked away to what she assumed was to make a complaint about her butting in. Well, she would make sure that both Castle and his daughter made a complaint about Slaughter's treatment of them.

"My dad didn't kill my mom."

Beckett turned to look at the poor girl. She hadn't been much older when her own mother had been killed. The detective who had spoken to her hadn't been an ass like Slaughter, but he hadn't been very sympathetic.

"I know."

The girl sniffed. "You do?"

Beckett nodded.

"The other detective seems to think so."

Beckett sighed as she took a seat across from the girl.

"Slaughter is an ass. Your father was found standing over the body. Statistically, the person who finds the body is the one who did it. Or it's the husband."

"But my parents aren't married anymore. They were getting along. My dad would never do this."

Beckett nodded. "I'm going to do my best to prove that okay."

The young girl nodded but continued to cry. Beckett sighed.

"Look, I know this is hard, but believe me when I say that I understand."

"How can you understand?" the girl yelled. "My mother is dead. My dad is a suspect in her murder. I don't know what to do. I'm all alone."

Beckett ran a hand over her face before standing up and walking around the desk.

"Let's get you out of here, you're not a suspect."

"But the other detective said I had to stay. He accused me of killing her first before moving onto dad."

Beckett shook her head. That guy was an idiot. "Let me worry about him. My name is Beckett by the way. Kate Beckett."

The young girl nodded. "I'm Alexis."

Beckett led Alexis into the break room and got her a bottle of water before urging her to sit down on the couch.

"I do understand what you are going through Alexis. At least partly. My mother was murdered when I was not much older than you. Dad and I were out to dinner waiting for her so he was never really considered a suspect. We were both devastated by her death but we dealt with it differently. I know it's not the same but..." Beckett took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she had opened up like that to a complete stranger.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Alexis told her. "I didn't know."

Beckett nodded. "It's okay you had no way of knowing. I just want you to know that you don't have to go this alone. I have my partners trying to track down your Grandmother right now. I'm also having them go back to your home to look over your father's bedroom. He said he heard a noise and that's was why he went into his room when he did. I'm doing everything I can to help okay."

"You really believe he is innocent?" Alexis asked.

"I do. Something just doesn't seem right." Beckett bit her lip. If she was going to prove his innocence, she needed to know all the facts. "Can I ask you some questions? I realise now probably isn't the best time for you, but the sooner the better."

Alexis nodded in understanding. "I want to help. What do you want to know?"

"Did you father have any enemies?"

Normally she would look at the victim. Who they were, what they were into. That led them to a motive. Except this time, she wondered if the suspect was the real victim here. Someone hated Castle enough to want to frame him for murder.

"No, not really. I mean sure he has frenemies. Other authors who he has a love hate relationship with. Nothing worth killing over."

Beckett nodded. Well it was a start. She would have Ryan and Esposito look into these so called 'Frenemies'.

"What about your mother? Any enemies, anyone she rubbed the wrong way."

Alexis shook her head. "No. A few cat fights with a few other actresses, but I don't think it was serious. She's a Diva, sure, but that has nothing to do with Dad."

"Okay well, we should probably look into it anyway. What about your mother's personal life? Is she dating anyone? Any ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands we should know about apart from your father ?"

Alexis nodded. "An ex-boyfriend. They dated for over six months. It's the longest she's dated anyone. His name is Mike. Mike Gerstern I think. He's an actor like my mother but he was new to the business, or so he said when I asked what acting jobs he had so far."

Beckett pulled out a pad and began to write down some notes.

"Okay. This is good. How long ago did they break up? Do you know why?"

"Two months ago. They broke up because of dad."

Beckett's brows rose. This was both a good and bad thing.

"Your Dad? How was your dad involved?"

"Well, Mike called dad to ask him to fund a movie he wanted to star in with mom. Apparently a new friend of his wrote it, and Mike was sure it would be a hit."

"And your dad refused."

Alexis nodded. "Dad is willing to give a hand up, not a handout. He tried to help mom out not long after they got divorced, and it blew up in his face. So he told Mike he wouldn't fund the movie but he was happy to get in touch with a few people on his behalf. Help promote the movie once it comes out. Mention it on his site, attend the movie premiere. More than most would do for the ex's boyfriend. Mike wasn't happy with this, though."

This was exactly what Beckett wanted to hear. Someone with a motive no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

"So Mike and your mother broke up after this."

Alexis nodded. "She didn't know Mike had called dad. When she found out, she rang to apologize. That was unusual for Mom: she didn't even apologize when she took me out of school to take me to lunch. In Paris."

"Paris, France?" Beckett asked surprised.

Alexis nodded. "Mom broke up with Mike. She was quite upset and called me to talk like I was her girlfriend or something. Mom really liked Mike, but she said he had champagne taste, soda money. He liked to appear rich, but often Mom ended up paying for things. When she found out he had gone to dad for money, she had enough. They got into a huge fight. He said some pretty mean things about my mom, and she accused him of being a sponge. As far as I know, she hasn't seen him since."

"Okay that's good Alexis. Now your mother doesn't live in New York, does she? Was she here visiting?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. She promised she would come after she finished up a role on a mini-series. It was the first time she actually kept a promise. I know it's wrong to speak ill of the dead: she wasn't exactly the best mother, but she was my mother and I loved her."

"I don't believe it's wrong to speak ill of the dead: it's just that they can't defend their actions. My mother was a great mom, but she wasn't perfect either. I still get angry when I remember how she grounded me for getting home past curfew even though it wasn't my fault my friend's car broke down. You loved your mother and that's what's important. So your mother kept her promise and came to New York to visit you."

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. It really surprised me and dad. It really looked like she was trying to make a real effort. Dad was even going to speak to a family friend who is putting on a play that has a character that Mom would be perfect for. Mom said no. She would make it on her own. That's how well Mom and Dad were getting along. Normally, Dad doesn't like being in the room with mom for more than a few minutes. She has been here for a few days and the three of us have gone out a few times together. We were having board game night tomorrow night. Mom used to call it bored game night because she hated playing games, but she was the one who suggested it. I was going to bring some games to her, but Dad said we could do it at our apartment."

Beckett bit her lip. "Was there any indication that there would be a reconciliation between the two of them?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. I mean, to an outsider we may have looked like the perfect family, but no. We had fun together and I know my Dad does love my Mom, but not like that."

Beckett nodded. "Thanks. You have really helped."

"What is going to happen to my Dad?"

Beckett shook her head. "Don't worry about that. Why don't we go and see him."

"I can see him?"

"Of course."

Beckett walked out of the break room and could hear muffled yelling again. This time it was coming from Montgomery's office. It seemed her boss and Slaughter were doing equal amounts of shouting. Beckett quickly hurried over to the interrogation room and opened the door.

"Hi," she tried to offer the man a brief smile.

"What now? Am I now going to go to jail and become someone's bitch?"

"Dad!"

"Alexis."

"I thought you might like a visitor," Beckett told him as she walked towards him. She then reached down and unlocked his cuffs.

"Am I being released?" he asked.

Beckett shook her head. "No, but I figured this might make it easier to hug your daughter."

He looked at her shocked before standing up and rushing over to his daughter. Beckett felt her throat start to hurt as she tried to hold back her emotions at seeing the pair hug. It was clear these two loved each other very much. There was no way this man could have killed his ex-wife.

"I'll give you two a few minutes alone."

Castle barely noticed as the woman detective left the room.

"Alexis honey. Are you okay?"

"Me, Dad? What about you?"

Castle led his daughter over to the chair and got her to sit down.

"Pumpkin. I swear to you I didn't hurt your mother. I know she has driven me crazy in the past but I swear to you."

"I know Dad," she interrupted.

"My lawyer will be here soon and we will have the all sorted out."

"It's okay Dad. Kate is going to sort it all out. She believes you didn't do it and is looking for answers."

Castle frowned. "Kate? Who's Kate?"

"The Detective who just left. She believes you and is looking for other alternatives."

Castle brows rose. "She is?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. She was really nice to me Dad I think it was because well.. something similar happened to her mother too."

Castle blinked at hearing the news. The detective's mother had been killed?

"Did she ask you any questions?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah but she was really nice about it. That other jerk just yelled at me. She asked if you had any enemies or if Mom did. That sort of thing, that's all."

"Okay. But don't answer anything if you don't want too. Our lawyer should be here soon."

"It's okay Dad. Kate was nice. She wants to help."

Castle nodded at his daughter. The woman had seemed nice when she had spoken to him. She had also uncuffed him and allowed him to see his daughter so maybe all police weren't that bad. "Okay then. Now give me a hug before that scary man gets back."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks once again to my beta Annem57. She has a new Rizzoli &amp; Isles story out. Punishment. So check it out if your a fan of that tv show too.<em>

_Big thanks to all those favs and follows_

_And a Big shout out to all those who have been spreading the word about this story on Twitter and my new followers. Love yas._


	4. The Inner Sanctum

Previously on Storm Clouds

_Beckett quickly hurried over to the interrogation room and opened the door._

"_Hi," she tried to offer the man a brief smile._

"_What now? Am I now going to go to jail and become someone's bitch?"_

"_Dad!"_

"_Alexis."_

"_I thought you might like a visitor," Beckett told him as she walked towards him. She then reached down and unlocked his cuffs._

"_Am I being released?" he asked._

_Beckett shook her head. "No, but I figured this might make it easier to hug your daughter."_

"_It's okay Dad. Kate is nice. She wants to help."_

* * *

><p>"Yo Beckett. What are you doing?"<p>

Beckett looked up from her screen. "Hey Espo. Did you get a hold of Castle's mother?"

"Castle?" Esposito asked as he sat on the corner of her desk.

Beckett rolled her eyes at her partner. "He said drop the Mr act, so I did. So did you contact his mother?"

"We found the retreat where she is staying. It's out in the middle of the woods with no phone or internet access. The local police are on their way there to speak to his mother. They said they'd call."

Beckett nodded and then continued flicking through pictures on her screen.

"Where is Ryan?"

"In the conference room. He's on the computer with some officers at the scene. They're going over the room again looking for that noise he apparently heard."

Beckett looked up at him. "Apparently?"

"Look Beckett I know you have a bit of a crush on this dude."

Beckett tried to laugh it off. "Crush. Please Esposito, I don't have a crush."

"Beckett. I wasn't born last night"

Beckett shrugged. "Esposito, he is innocent until proven guilty. Or did you forget that?"

Esposito shrugged. "Beckett, was he found standing over the body?"

"Hey Beckett I got something?" Ryan yelled across the room.

"I wasn't aware you had a case."

Ryan, Esposito and Beckett turned around to look at their boss. A smug Detective Slaughter was standing behind him.

Beckett bit her lip. "Captain. Sir. We just thought we would help Slaughter with his case seeing as we didn't have one of our own."

Captain Montgomery raised a brow at her. "Really. He tells me you're butting in where you aren't wanted."

Beckett glared at Slaughter. "He's being stubborn Sir. He isn't even looking at any other options. Instead of asking questions, he just yelled at the victim and his teenage daughter, accusing both of them. He isn't even looking into Mike Gerstern."

"Who's Mike Gerstern?" Slaughter asked.

Beckett gave him a smug look. "Exactly."

"Who is this Mike person?" Montgomery questioned his detective.

"He is the victim's ex-boyfriend. They broke up two months ago after he tried to get Castle to fund a movie project. Which he refused to do, I might add. He has more of a motive then Castle does."

"Wait a second Beckett," Slaughter interrupted. "If he was the victim's boyfriend, then isn't he likely to be in L.A. where the victim is from? You're just trying to free the guy because you think he's hot."

Beckett glared at Slaughter and chose to ignore his comment. "I made some calls and I'm just waiting to hear back. It's not hard to fly from L.A to New York, you know. I'm looking into a few other things while I wait."

Montgomery nodded. "And just when exactly were you going to tell me you are taking over Slaughter's investigation?"

Beckett stood firm. It was against protocol to steal another detectives case but she couldn't help it.

"I was going to come to you when I had some more to work on. My team is merely assisting Slaughter."

"Assisting? It seems you have been putting more into this case than Slaughter has. I am putting you in charge now, Beckett. Ryan, what have you got?" Montgomery asked addressing the other detective.

"Hey wait," Slaughter yelled. "This is my case."

Montgomery turned to send his detective a scowl. "The last time I checked, this was my department. If I want to assign another officer to this case, then I will. So far, all you have told me was the victim was shot dead and the ex-husband was found standing over the body. Beckett has at least brought me a suspect with a motive. Now you have two choices. Allow Beckett and her team to join your investigation or I turn it over to her."

Slaughter glared at Beckett before walking off in a huff.

"Like I even wanted this case," he muttered.

Montgomery turned to look at the three detectives in front of him.

"You wanted this case, now you've got it. The three of you better get up to speed with it. What do you have Ryan?"

"Video footage shows both the victim and Mr Castle entering the building but at different times. All other people on the footage are either residents or are known guests of residents."

Beckett frowned. "Well I guess it could have been one of his neighbours. It wouldn't be the first time."

Ryan nodded. "Exactly. One of the officers on the scene spoke to Castle's neighbours."

"And?" Beckett asked hopefully.

"Nothing. Good neighbour. But while the officer was talking to a neighbour down the hall, they remembered hearing a noise. It turns out there's another entrance to that floor. The neighbour was pretty sure she heard the door open which is unusual as it's normally never used. Only residents on that floor have a key. There is no camera footage from that door, but the lock did look like it had been picked."

Beckett smiled. "So someone else could have been at the apartment."

"Good work team," Montgomery told them. "Now I better go in and speak to Mr Castle. He's friends with the mayor and I want to make sure he has been treated right. If not, I'm in big trouble. My wife liked my butt the way it is. It's not going to look good if the Mayor chews it out."

"Sir. I let his daughter go and see him."

"Did you now?"

Beckett nodded. "She was really upset and she had no one here. Her mother has been killed and her father is the suspect."

Montgomery nodded. He understood where Beckett was coming from.

"Sir. I'd like to go to the scene. I'd like to look it over myself."

"Alright. Just get Ryan and Esposito to get the notes of off Slaughter."

Beckett looked over and offered her two partners an apologetic smile before hurrying off. They were supposed to have the weekend free. She was really going to have to come up with something special to make it up to them.

* * *

><p>Beckett hurried past the reporters out the front of Castle's apartment building. She flashed her badge and was quickly allowed inside. She observed the building and she was really surprised. For someone who made millions, he was living rather modestly.<p>

Most of the officers were probably gone now but LT was waiting for her at the door of Castle's apartment.

"Hey Beckett. Ryan said you were coming. Taking over the case I see."

Beckett nodded "Slaughter was about ready to hang Castle without looking into it further. I had to step in."

"I'm glad. Mr Castle seems like a good person. I know he donates to a lot of charities. My goddaughter's school got a large donation of books for their library because of him. I couldn't see him doing this. He was actually pretty calm when we came in. Kept demanding we help his ex-wife. He was trying to give her CPR."

"So you were here?"

LT nodded. "Yeah. An anonymous 911 call came in. They said they heard a gunshot from this apartment."

Beckett frowned. "So a neighbour called it in?"

LT shook his head. "That's the thing. None of the neighbours heard a thing, and none of them made the call."

Beckett shook her head. Well if that wasn't suspicious? Slaughter probably hadn't even waited around for evidence to come in. Famous writer accused of murder was sure to make headlines, and Slaughter loved making them too.

"Okay. Well, let's take a look."

Beckett walked into the small apartment and saw there were more people still there then she thought would have been.

"When Ryan called, we got them to stay to help look for more evidence. He said we were looking for some kind of noise device."

"Where's the crime scene?"

LT pointed towards the bedroom. Beckett walked over and noticed the small desk and computer in the corner of the living area. This was where it all happened. This was where the magic that was a Richard Castle novel was created. Although there hadn't been much magic lately, much to her disappointment.

"It's just through here," LT told her, breaking Beckett out of her haze.

Beckett walked in Castle's bedroom. She imagined this was where magic happened also. The tabloids had painted him as being a bit of a playboy. According to his own website, those allegations were blown out of proportion. As a public and likable figure, he got invited to a lot of events. Most invites she had received always proclaimed 'and partner' even though they knew she wasn't seeing anyone. She hated turning up on her own, and figured he probably did too. Who was she to judge if those dates ended up back here?

Even though she wasn't an advocate for one night stands, she did believe in trying before she bought. She had once dated a guy who she got along with really well. Unfortunately, there was no chemistry in the bedroom. She had tried a few different things and had even discussed it with the guy. In the end, it just wasn't going to work. Sex wasn't everything or even the most important part of a relationship, but it was vital, or at least her in opinion. Passion had to exist both inside and out of the bedroom. She wanted to have a deep connection in all aspects of a relationship. If she didn't feel a connection straight away whether it was physical, emotional or intellectual, then there was no point in dragging it out. Who's to say Castle wasn't doing the exact same thing. Beckett rolled her eyes. Why was she thinking about sex at a time like this, probably because it had been way to long.

"So, any idea on where to look?"

Beckett looked up startled. She then looked around the room. "Anywhere you wouldn't think to look."

Beckett reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves. She didn't want to contaminate the crime scene. Getting down on her hands and knees, she checked out the obvious first. Sometimes because something was so obvious, people didn't bother to look there. After all, who would be that stupid, right? Beckett pulled out her flashlight and shone it under the bed. All Castle had said was he heard a noise, and she wished she had asked what noise specifically. Beckett crawled under the bed slightly and looked around. The noise maker could be big or microscopic. Beckett spotted something in the corner and shimmied further under the bed. It was black and... Beckett sighed as she grabbed it.

A sock.

Maybe odd socks weren't eaten by the dryer monster after all.

"You find anything Beckett?"

Beckett hit her head on the underside of the bed.

"Ouch. Thanks LT."

Beckett slid backwards from under the bed. "Just a sock,"

She held up the offending article. LT held up a plastic evidence bag.

"Hey, you never know. The killer could have lost a sock."

Beckett looked over at the bed. The sheets had been stripped and all that was left was a bare mattress. No blood had seeped through, so she hadn't been there long.

"Just out of curiosity, do you know if the victim showed signs of sexual assault?"

LT shook his head. "Nope."

"No, no sex. Or no, you don't know."

"No sex," LT told her. "And there was no semen on the sheets either."

Beckett raised her brows at that. Well, that was surprising. So either the tabloids got it wrong, or he took his conquests elsewhere. Or, maybe he was just safe. Why was she thinking about sex again?

Beckett looked over the room. A bug could be anywhere. She looked in the bedside drawer, the lamp, the head board. Nothing. Beckett stood back and looked over the room. Her eyes landed on a large print of a lion. Well, wasn't that a bit in your face. If she had been invited home to a man's bedroom and walked in and saw that, she would probably walk right back out. It just seemed so aggressive. So macho.

Beckett looked over the scene and bit her lip. This wasn't a random murder. Someone had killed Meredith for a reason and if her theory was correct, had planned on framing Castle. This murder was personal. Beckett glanced around the room, then decided to make a closer inspection of the picture. When she looked around the room, her eyes kept landing on it. She lifted the corner and looked under the frame. There was nothing on the wall or on the underside of the frame. Beckett carefully let go of the frame. It probably cost thousands of dollars, so she should be careful with it. Taking one last glance at the picture, Beckett noticed a fly sitting right on the lion's eyes. She didn't know why but she attempted to swap the fly away. The lion wasn't alive, but seeing the fly sitting on its eye bugged her. No pun intended. The fly didn't move. Oh, so it was one of those strong willed flies. Beckett swiped at it again but still it didn't move. Beckett took a step closer to the frame and really looked at the fly.

"LT get over here."

"You find something Beckett?"

"Maybe. What is that on the lion's eye."

LT took a closer look. "You're brilliant Beckett."

Beckett smiled. "Get someone to look at this."

She continued to look over the room. A black thing on a picture could be the evidence they needed, or it could just be a black thing.

"Make sure they dust for prints around it, too. I can see something on the glass."

"You got it."

Beckett pulled her cell from her pocket when it started to ring. It was Esposito and she hoped he had something.

"What you got Esposito?"

"An inkling you will never let me live this down. I think you're right about Castle."

Beckett walked out of Castle's bedroom.

"Why? What did you find?"

"Ryan was bugging me so I went to go sit at your desk and make some calls. I saw the photos you were looking at."

Beckett frowned. "The ones from the latest sightings of Richard Castle site."

"Yeah. I won't even go into the fact that you were logged in. That's for another day. Anyway, I decided to look at a few of the photos. Castle and his daughter. Castle with the victim. Castle with some blonde lady."

"That is his second ex-wife and publisher." She remembered seeing that photo.

"She isn't the interesting one, though."

Beckett bit her lip. He had something, didn't he? Why did he have to procrastinate?

"Who else was in the photos Espo?"

"A guy with long black hair. He's in a few of them and he looks like he was stalking Castle."

"Did you show the photos to Castle?"

"Yeah. He didn't recognise him, but his daughter did."

"Spit it out Espo."

"Mike Gerstern."

Beckett narrowly avoided doing a fist pump.

"The ex-boyfriend. I knew it."

"Hey Beckett." LT called out to her.

Beckett turned around and looked at the officer.

"There is a greasy substance on the glass and we got a really good print."

This time Beckett couldn't help but smile. "Espo, please tell me this guy has a criminal record and we have his prints on file."

"B&E five years ago in Florida. He was linked to a few but they could only prove one. He picked the locks and was pretty good with electrical stuff, too."

"Great."

"Not great. So far we can't find him. We got confirmation that he's been in New York for three weeks but no-one knows where he was staying. "

Beckett sighed. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. "Okay, keep me posted. I'll make my way back now."

Beckett hung up her cell and walked back over to LT.

"Get that print sent off, but keep looking for more evidence."

"You got a suspect?" LT asked.

Beckett shrugged. "Good likelihood, yes. We have photos of the victim's ex-boyfriend stalking Castle. I'll get Espo to send a photo through to you guys. See if any of the neighbours saw him hanging around."

"Okay."

Beckett walked out the apartment building and straight into flashing lights. Not red and blue but bright white.

"Detective, Detective, what can you tell us?"

"We heard he butchered his ex-wife."

"Is it true she was pregnant with his love child?"

"Did they fight over his gay lover?"

"Detective."

Beckett held her hand up hoping to silence the ridiculous questions and allegations the reporters were making.

"We are currently investigating a crime and we would appreciate it if you would please stay away." she told them, knowing her words fell on deaf ears.

"Is it true Richard Castle has been arrested for murder?"

Beckett took a deep breath. Protocol was to say no comment, but often reporters saw that as either a conformation or a denial.

"Richard Castle agreed to accompany officers down to the precinct to answer a few questions, that is all. Now I ask that you please leave his place of residence."

"Detective, Detective."

Beckett shook her head. She had wasted her breath.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Okay so this is the first time i have really tried to have a case in my stories. Well apart from when Santa's reindeer wrangler was killed. (Check out my story the magic of Christmas f you want to know more). So this whole case/murder/killer is probably the weak point of the story but we all need to grow right. So sorry if it's too easy or …. I dunno. Its not exactly going to be a puzzler. I did it as best as I could. Thanks for reading


	5. When Thank You Isn't Enough

_**Sorry guys didn't realise how long it ahd been since I posted. If you haven't already please check out my latest one shot. **__**Under one roof**__**, based on event from ep Room 147**_

* * *

><p><em>Previously on Storm Clouds<em>

"_Espo, please tell me this guy has a criminal record and we have his prints on file."_

"_B&E five years ago in Florida. He was linked to a few but they could only prove one. He picked the locks and was pretty good with electrical stuff, too."_

"_Great."_

"_Not great. So far we can't find him. We got confirmation that he's been in New York for three weeks but no-one knows where he was staying. " _

_Beckett sighed. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. "Okay, keep me posted. I'll make my way back now."_

* * *

><p>Beckett walked off the elevator at the precinct and headed towards her desk. She was surprised to see Richard Castle sitting on her chair. His teenage daughter was cradled in his lap despite the numerous empty seats at this hour. As she approached, Alexis quickly stood up as did Castle.<p>

He held out his hand to her.

"Hi. We didn't exactly have the best meeting earlier and I'd like to apologize. Hi I'm Rick Castle. You're Detective Kate..."

"Beckett," she interrupted, taking his hand and shaking it. "And there is no reason to apologize. It's not a problem under the circumstances."

He nodded. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure."

"In private? "

Beckett looked around the precinct. Montgomery was in his office with Slaughter and someone she didn't know. Whoever they were, it looked like they were giving Slaughter a good dressing down. Beckett didn't want to take him back into an interrogation room again. Not only that, but Ryan and Esposito were trying to make it look like they weren't watching the exchange. They could have a clear visual and audio view if she went into interrogation. The conference room was free and the blinds were already closed. Perfect.

"Umm sure, let's go over here."

"I'll be back soon Pumpkin."

Alexis sat back down in the chair as Beckett led Castle into the conference room and shut the door.

"Thanks for the privacy, Detective."

"Please call me Beckett. So is everything okay?" she asked him and then realised how stupid her question was. Of course it wasn't okay. His ex-wife had been killed, and until recently he was the lead suspect. "I am sorry that was.."

"No it's okay. Thanks for asking. Alexis is pretty upset obviously, but I don't think it has really hit me yet."

"You had other things on your mind," she told him.

Castle scoffed. "Yeah. Like being accused of murdering Meredith. There were times I wanted to strangle her, that's for sure." His eyes widened. "I probably shouldn't be saying that to a police officer, should I?"

Beckett smiled. "Alexis told me Meredith took her to lunch in Paris one day. "I guess she didn't get your permission."

Castle shook his head. "No, she didn't. I aged twenty years that day."

"I don't blame you, but I'll pretend I didn't hear that strangled comment."

He gave her the first real smile she had seen on his face today and Beckett practically melted. She knew she made the right decision taking over the case.

"Thank you. Oh, and thank you for rescuing Alexis from that other detective."

"I didn't realise she was here, otherwise I would have stepped in sooner."

"Why is that?" he asked her.

Beckett frowned. "I don't understand."

"Well, this wasn't your case, but you took an interest anyway. In fact , I'm told you're the reason why I can go home now. I hear Meredith's ex is your prime suspect."

Beckett nodded. He had probably been kept informed by Montgomery or Ryan and Esposito.

"Yes, he is. I mean, it's not a lot to go on, but he was seen following you and they did break up on bad terms. He has a history of breaking and entering and the door to the other entrance to your apartment floor had the lock picked."

Castle frowned. "Isn't that all a bit too coincidental?"

Beckett shrugged. "About as coincidental as you just happening to go into your room and finding your ex-wife the minute the police storm your apartment. The 911 call said they heard a gunshot coming from your apartment, but none of your neighbours reported hearing one or making the call. The call came in from a burner phone. The time of death, the time you got home and the time of the call were all quite close. That and the fact you were found standing over the body is why you were a suspect. However with no residue from firing a gun on you and no motive well ..." Beckett shrugged. "You should have been brought in for questioning, but not handcuffed or treated as a suspect." On the drive home, she had called Lanie, who had filled her in on all the relevant details.

Castle nodded. "Well, thank you for taking over. For looking at other options."

"Things aren't always what they seem. Believe me I know."

"Your mother?"

Beckett froze.

"Alexis told me that you understood what she was going through because your mother was killed when you were her age."

Beckett barely managed to nod. She rarely spoke to anyone about her mother's death. She had only brought it up to help Alexis. It made sense that the girl would tell her father.

"Was her killer found?"

Beckett gritted her teeth and tried to steady herself. "No. The police put it down to a random act of violence."

She didn't know why she was telling him this

"But you don't believe that?"

Beckett took a deep breath. "No."

Castle shook his head. "Well, I am sorry."

Beckett looked away. She couldn't deal with this right now.

"Thanks. Is that all?" she asked, hoping to get away from the situation.

"Ahh well, yes. No. It can't have been easy for you to tell my daughter about your mother. I am assuming it isn't something you just blab to anyone."

Beckett shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"Thank you. She really needed to know she wasn't alone in all of this. Thank you for letting her come and see me." Castle then laughed. "I keep saying thank you - I'm sorry. I am a man of words, yet I can't manage more than a thank you. I feel like a fool."

"You're under stress. It's no big deal."

Castle shook his head. "It is a big deal. You were there for her and me, and I don't even know you."

Beckett shrugged. "It's all part of the job."

Castle shook his head. "It wasn't your case."

Beckett bit her lip. He was right. It wasn't her case yet she had butted in. Something she never did.

"I won't say thank you again but.." Castle leaned in and Beckett wasn't sure what he was doing until he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call." He pulled a pen and a notebook out of his pocket. He scribbled on a page before ripping it from the pad and handing it to her. "This is my private number. I figured I can trust you with it."

Beckett took the number and smiled. "It will be all over the internet by tomorrow." Beckett reached into her pocket and pulled out one of her cards. "Here. Cop hours. You can pretty much call me anytime."

Castle smiled as he took the card. "Thanks. Roy said he would keep us updated."

Beckett frowned. "Roy?"

"Your boss."

Beckett closed her eyes. "Oh yes. Roy. Well okay. You should probably get home. The two of you haven't had a proper time to grieve. Go home, try and rest."

"Try and forget the day."

Beckett shook her head. "No, you will never forget the day."

Castle walked off, and Beckett stayed where she was. She needed a bit of time to recover. It wasn't everyday she got to meet her favourite author who just happened to be accused of murder. Or everyday that she spilled her guts about her mother's case. She had just wanted to help Alexis. For a few minutes the girl was all alone and Beckett knew how scary that feeling was.

She took a few deep breaths; she needed to keep it together. Beckett finally turned to leave, only to run into a firm chest. Hands immediately came up to steady her.

"Sorry," Beckett looked at the chest and recognised the familiar shirt. "Castle. Sorry. I didn't see you."

"No, it's fine."

Beckett looked down at the hands wrapped around her biceps, then back up at the man those hands belonged to.

"Oh," Castle said, dropping his hands.

Beckett smiled and took a few steps back.

"Was there something else?"

Castle winced. "Yeah. My home is still a crime scene."

"Yeah, it is for the time being. Sorry."

Castle shook his head. "No, that's okay. I'm in no rush to get back there. I don't want Alexis there either. I was thinking of moving anyway. I'm going to start looking straight away."

Beckett nodded. She wouldn't want to live there either, but why was he telling her this.

"It might be a wise idea."

"Yeah. Umm, so in the meantime I'm homeless."

Beckett tried not to smirk. Richard Castle had millions of dollars, how could he be homeless?

"Homeless?"

"Yeah. I can't go home. Montgomery told me to stay in the city at least for a few days so I can't go to my summer home in the Hamptons."

"Hotel?" Beckett offered. There were only like a trillion of them in New York.

Castle laughed. "Umm, yeah only problem with that is my face is being splashed all over the news. I could pay them to be discreet, but someone will talk and we'll end up being held hostage there by the media. I'd be calling you guys again just to step foot out of my room. "

He was right. The paparazzi were already outside of his home. There were too many people who could talk at the hotel. Maid, room service, thousands of guests. He needed to be somewhere away from people, not completely surrounded by them. Well, not by strangers at least, maybe being in the company of people who loved and cared for them would help.

"A friend?"

Castle hung his head down and looked away. Beckett frowned at his reaction.

"Castle?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I don't really have friends?"

Beckett had to hold back a laugh. His ex-wife had just been killed, but his statement was almost as stupid as the reporters asking about Castle's gay lover.

"You have tons of friends. I've seen photos. I hear you're friends with the mayor."

Castle shook his head. "I have a lot of what Alexis calls facebook friends. She will like their photos or comment on their status, but they aren't real friends."

Beckett shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."

"I have golf buddies, poker buddies, people I hang out with at events. When it comes down to it, I don't really have anyone I can call late at night and ask to stay over. Especially when I have been accused of murder."

"You're not a suspect anymore."

"Yeah, but until you have a suspect in custody, the media won't see it like that. Regardless I am still big news. No one I know will want to bring that on their doorstep." He lowered his head and ran a hand through his hair. When he looked back up at her his eyes were glassy and filled with loneliness. " I don't suppose the NYPD has somewhere we can stay. A safe house or something? I'm not picky, we'll stay anywhere. I just need a place for my baby girl to relax and get away from all of this."

Beckett sighed. Richard Castle had always seemed so happy and put together in all the photos she had seen. She knew he had two divorces, but marriage was hard even without the celebrity status. Had the bone-melting smile from before been a cover? Even though she didn't have a lot of friends, she had Lanie, Ryan and Esposito she could turn to. Some didn't consider 'work friends' real friends, but they didn't know her team. They were a tight-knit group, and would be there for her. If she needed some help they had her back. Beckett sighed and made an important but possibly crazy decision.

"I have an idea. Why don't I walk you and your daughter out?"

"Out where?"

"If you want discretion, just follow me."

Castle nodded and followed her out of the conference room. Beckett walked over to her desk and opened the bottom drawer. She pulled out a bag and then opened her top drawer and grabbed something out.

"Hey Beckett."

Beckett turned around to look at her boss. "Captain. I am just escorting Mr Castle and his daughter out."

"Good. Ryan and Esposito filled me in on what you found at the scene. I'm heading home. You better not still be here when I come in tomorrow."

Beckett nodded. "Okay."

She busied herself waiting for the Captain to leave before escorting the Castles to the elevator. When they entered the elevator, she opened her bag and handed Alexis and Castle a cap each.

"Here, put this on."

She also handed Alexis a scarf.

"We use it when we are trying to stay inconspicuous." she told them.

"We do the same. I guess this will buy us some time at a hotel," Castle told her reluctantly.

Beckett shook her head. "You won't be staying at a hotel. If you don't want to that is."

"I guess we really don't have a choice."

"Dad. Where are we going? I don't want to go back home."

The door to the elevator opened and Beckett led them over to her car. She unlocked it before handing the keys over to him.

Castle looked at the keys before looking at her.

"What?"

"Take the car."

Castle shook his head. "We can take a taxi."

"A taxi driver could talk and there are paparazzi out front. Take the car." she told him placing the keys in his hand. She then took out a piece of paper from her pocket and scribbled on it before handing it over. "This is my home address. I live alone and my neighbours keep to themselves."

"Your home."

Beckett nodded. "These are my keys," she said as she handed them over. "Small key top lock, big key bottom lock. Unlock the bottom first and then turn the handle as you unlock the top lock."

"We can't stay in your home."

Beckett shrugged. "It's not much, but it will be somewhere to stay tonight. There is a bed and a couch. I have a stack of take out menus that deliver anytime. Just make a call and put it on my account. They will even leave it by the door if you ask,"

"Really?"

Beckett nodded. "I get home late and often order and then take a shower. When I get out it's waiting for me by my door."

"Dad."

Castle looked at his daughter, then at the detective in front of him. "Um okay. Thanks for this."

Beckett nodded. "No problem. Feel free to use the shower. There is linen in the cupboard. Alexis, you can borrow anything you need."

"Thank you Kate," the young girl told her as she opened the car door and got inside.

"Thank you." Castle offered yet again

"Go," Beckett told him. "Your daughter needs you."

* * *

><p>UnBeckett like. MMM maybe. But just enjoy the softer Beckett : )<p>

Love you guys. Your reviews have been amazing. Thanks for getting me through the bad times and giving me reasons to dance during the good.


	6. This Tastes Soooooo Good

_Previously on Storm Clouds_

"_This is my home address. I live alone and my neighbours keep to themselves."_

"_Your home."_

_Beckett nodded. "These are my keys," she said as she handed them over. "Small key top lock, big key bottom lock. Unlock the bottom first and then turn the handle as you unlock the top lock."_

"_We can't stay in your home."_

_Beckett shrugged. "It's not much, but it will be somewhere to stay tonight. There is a bed and a couch._

_Castle looked at his daughter, then at the detective in front of him. "Um okay. Thanks for this."_

"_Go," Beckett told him. "Your daughter needs you."_

* * *

><p>Beckett rubbed her hands over her face. She was tired, and the coffee was only causing her to be jittery, not keeping her awake. Ryan and Esposito had gone home hours ago and she told them she would be following soon. It wasn't a lie: well, it hadn't been at the time.<p>

Within minutes of them leaving, she got a call. Fingerprints were a match. A rush had been put on them considering it was a high profile case. Mike Gerstern had been in Richard Castle's room. Not only that, but the grease-like substance on the glass was identified as a cream for dermatitis. The cream had been the reason they got such a good print: it also had gunshot residue in it. They had him.

Except they didn't.

There were still no leads on the location of Mike Gerstern. While she had been going over the crime scene, Esposito had gathered as much information from Alexis about her mother's life. Who her friends? Where had she spent time? That had led them to some of Mike's friends. They were still waiting to hear back from them to see if they knew where Mike was staying while in New York.

"Beckett. Mother's here."

Beckett looked up and frowned. Mother! Who's mother? As far as she knew, Mike's parents were both dead.

"Where is my son? Who is in charge here?"

Beckett saw the vivacious red head storm through the precinct. She was undoubtedly Martha Rogers, star of stage and screen. Beckett had been fortunate to get tickets to the last night of a play Martha had been starring in two years ago. Although she had only a small part, Martha had stolen the show.

"Miss Rogers. I'm Detective Beckett." Beckett offered the woman her hand but it wasn't taken.

"Where is my son? I demand to see him"

Beckett offered the woman a brief smile. The woman was obviously worried about her son.

"Miss Rogers. If you would like to take a seat. I'll be happy to fill you in on what's going on."

"I have been travelling all night. I don't want to take a seat. Where is Richard, where is Alexis?"

Beckett sighed. "I understand your concern, Miss Rogers, but they aren't here."

"Beckett, what are you still doing here? Didn't the Captain tell you to be gone before he gets back?"

Beckett tuned to look at Karpowski, then at the time. The Captain would be back within the next two hours. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to come in early just to catch her out.

"I'm just leaving, Karpowski. I'm taking Miss Rogers to see her son."

Beckett turned to her desk and quickly shut down her computers. She had already sent Ryan and Esposito updates on what was going on. It was time for her to go home and get a few hours sleep. She grabbed her things and began escorting Miss Rogers out.

"Where are you taking me?"

Beckett waited for the elevator door to close before she addressed the woman.

"Miss Rogers, I wish to expresses my deepest condolences for the loss of your ex Daughter in law."

Martha hung her head done. "Thank you. I am sorry for my outburst; I am just worried about my son. They said he was suspected of killing Meredith, and that is just not possible."

Beckett nodded. "I know, which is why I have been working to prove his innocence. We have a possible suspect, and your son has been released. We had no reason to keep him here."

Martha sighed. "Oh, thank goodness. So where is my son? Surely he didn't go back home."

Beckett shook her head. "No, he didn't. It's still an active crime scene." Opening the door, Beckett led Castle's mother out onto the street and hailed a cab. It was early morning and the streets were just starting to fill with early morning commuters. Beckett helped the older woman into the cab before climbing in after her and giving the driver her address.

"I don't recognise the address. What hotel are they staying at?"

"It's not a hotel. He was worried about the media harassing them and I agree. The paparazzi were at his apartment hours after the incident occurred and were still out the front of the precinct until a few hours ago. ."

Martha nodded. "Yes, they can be fickle at times. When you want publicity they aren't there, and when you want solitude they are in your face. So where are my son and granddaughter staying?"

"With me."

"Oh." Martha raised her brows amused.

Beckett shook her head. "It's not like that, Miss Rogers. I asked your son if he had a friend to stay with and he said no. As I was still working the case and wouldn't be going home anytime soon I offered my place of residence. The pair needed to sleep and get away from all the murder talk."

The woman seemed to be observing her. "Okay. Is that normal protocol? To let potential suspects stay with police officers?"

Beckett shook her head. "No it's not. However your son is no longer a suspect, and he needed somewhere safe from the media."

The rest of the ride to her apartment was silent. Beckett felt like a bug under a microscope. Martha kept watching her but didn't say anything. Beckett kept turning to look at her and even gave her a smile but still the woman didn't speak. She began to feel self-conscious as she led the woman to her apartment. Violent criminals hadn't made her feel as uncomfortable as this woman did. Beckett opened the door to her apartment and allowed Martha to enter before following. Beckett shut the door and turned around and froze at the site before her.

There was a half-naked man lying on her couch. Unfortunately it was the wrong half. It had been quite some time since there had been a naked man in her home. Just the site of a half-naked one had her heating up. She now knew the answer she had pondered with Lanie one drunken night, Richard Castle was a boxer man. He was asleep on her couch, dressed in only his boxers with one of his novels resting against his chest.

Beckett bit her lip. He had found her collection of novels. Well, they were his novels and they weren't all that hard to find. A large bookshelf took over one wall and his books were directly in the centre.

"Of all the books my son chose to read out of your collection." Martha shook her head. "It's good to see my son's ego came through the ordeal fine."

"Alexis must be in my room. It's just this way, if you want to check on her."

Beckett led the way to her room and found Alexis curled up on her bed. She was wearing one of Beckett's long t shirts and the poor girl looked exhausted.

"Oh my poor baby."

"You're more than welcome to stay here, too. There isn't much room but you must be tired if you travelled all night."

Martha turned to look at her then held up her wrist to examine her watch.

"Well, I have a few friends that I stay with when I am in town but it is early. I don't think Alexis will mind if I share the bed with her, as I often do it when I come and stay. I haven't had permanent residence since my last husband stole everything from me. I keep a closet at a few different friend's homes as well as one at Richard's. All I need is my clothes, me and my family."

Beckett nodded. She wasn't a hoarder either. Apart from her books she had very few knickknacks.

"Well, the shower is through there. There should be spare towels, but let me know if there isn't." Beckett opened her drawer and pulled out a grey t shirt and shorts for herself and left the drawer open. "Feel free to help yourself to some sleep wear. Please make yourself at home."

Beckett quickly went into her bathroom to change her clothes and brush her teeth. When she exited, the older woman was sitting on the bed and was only just now showing signs of exhaustion. The older woman was stroking her granddaughter's hair

"Try and get some sleep. They'll need all your support in the morning," Kate offered.

"I'll try."

Beckett nodded as she went to exit the room.

"Detective."

"Yes. Is there something you need?"

Martha shook her head. "No. I just want to know why."

"Why Meredith was killed? I can't say for.."

"No," Martha interrupted. "Why are you helping my family?"

Beckett sighed. "Because I've been there, and I wish there had been someone to help me and my father." With that she left the room and settled herself on the recliner next to her couch.

* * *

><p>Beckett's nose twitched. Did she smell coffee? If she had fallen asleep at the precinct, she was going to be so angry. Montgomery was, too. She opened her eyes just as a cup of coffee was placed on the coffee table In front of her. Beckett shot up from her lying position and looked around, confused. She saw the empty recliner where she had fallen asleep the night before. Well, it was morning by the time she had actually gotten to sleep. How had she ended up on the couch? Beckett then looked up at the bearer of the coffee.<p>

"Hi. Good morning."

Beckett sat back on the couch and subconsciously covered her waist with her hands. She probably should have made a better choice for her sleepwear.

"Arr good morning Castle. Did you sleep well?"

Richard Castle shrugged at her. "About as well as can be expected. Your phone beeped. I figured you might have to go back into work so I poured you a coffee when I made myself one. I hope you don't mind."

Beckett shook her head as she reached for the cup. "That you brought me coffee. No way." Taking a sip she groaned as the flavor swept over her. How had he made her crappy coffee taste this good. Did she taste vanilla in the concoction before her? " In fact I could kiss you, this tastes so good." She took a big gulp of her hot brew before she realised what she said. She looked up at the author and saw a smug smile.

"I meant that I went into your kitchen, rifled through your things, and made coffee. But it's good to know you reward the person who brings you coffee with a kiss. I would have settled for a smile. It's good to know though. I'll have to bring you coffee more often."

Beckett bit her lip. "How did I get on the couch?" She decided to change the topic of conversation to one that was a little less awkward.

Castle sat down on the recliner chair. "I moved you when I woke up. Mother told me what time you got in, and I figured you deserved a little bit of comfort considering all you have done for my family."

"So you have seen your mother?"

Castle nodded. "Yes. She left a few minutes ago. She says to say thank your hospitality."

"A cramped bed wasn't much?"

He reached forward and tapped her bare knee. "It means the world to us. We are so thankful for your generosity."

Beckett looked down at the hand on her knee than back up at the owner.

"I.."

Beckett jolted when her phone beeped again.

"It must be the precinct." She deposited her cup on the table and picked up her phone. Looking over the messages she smiled. "They have a lead on Mike, and I have to go."

Castle stood. "Okay. Of course. We will get out of your hair as soon as Alexis gets up. One of mother's friends has agreed to let us stay with her."

Beckett nodded. "No rush. I'll probably be at the precinct until this is done anyway." Beckett walked off towards her bedroom in order to shower and change.

"Detective,"

She turned to look at the author. In his photos he always seemed to be confident and happy. It wasn't the same now. He looked apprehensive.

"If I am out of line saying this then I am truly sorry. I realise you are a very private person."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Your apartment and the way in which the Officers at the precinct talk about you," he shook his head. "Sorry, writer's habit, I pick up on things. "

"Your point?" she was starting to get annoyed. Why was he bringing this up?

"I just want you to know that I think you're extraordinary."

Beckett raised her brows. He what? Wasn't he just lecturing her on being a recluse?

He offered her a weak smile. "You seem surprised by me telling you this which is exactly the reason why I felt I had to tell you. You're extraordinary. You're a private person, yet you opened yourself and your home to me and my family. You took a chance on me when you didn't have to. Very few people would do that. In fact, apart from my mother and daughter, I don't know anyone else who would. Except you. If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I know who I want on my side."

Beckett bit her lip. He thought she was extraordinary. Richard Castle was a wordsmith, sure but she believed he meant what he said. She sensed the endearment in his voice. Where others thought she was hard or closed off, he thought she was extraordinary. He saw what others failed to see. She looked at him watching her and she knew he was expecting her to say something. What did one say to a person she admired for the way he could weave words in such a magnanimous way. To a person whose words had pulled her out of the darkness and forced her to go on. She was getting too sentimental and she still had a job to do.

Beckett nodded. "I'm not sure you'd want me on your side, Castle. I only kill criminals. If you're after the undead, you better call Buffy." She then turned and walked off to go change.

* * *

><p>Thoughts?<p> 


	7. Taking A Chance On A Stranger

_Previously on Storm Clouds_

_You're extraordinary. You're a private person, yet you opened yourself and your home to me and my family. You took a chance on me when you didn't have to. Very few people would do that. In fact, apart from my mother and daughter, I don't know anyone else who would. Except you. If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I know who I want on my side."_

_Beckett bit her lip. He thought she was extraordinary. Richard Castle was a wordsmith, sure but she believed he meant what he said. She sensed the endearment in his voice. Where others thought she was hard or closed off, he thought she was extraordinary. He saw what others failed to see. She looked at him watching her and she knew he was expecting her to say something. What did one say to a person she admired for the way he could weave words in such a magnanimous way. To a person whose words had pulled her out of the darkness and forced her to go on. She was getting too sentimental and she still had a job to do._

_Beckett nodded. "I'm not sure you'd want me on your side, Castle. I only kill criminals. If you're after the undead, you better call Buffy." She then turned and walked off to go change._

* * *

><p><strong>Tiny time jump here people.<strong>

* * *

><p>Detective Beckett rolled her head and felt relief when she heard cracking sounds. She had read somewhere that cracking one's bones was bad for you but she didn't care. It was like a lot of things she supposed, it was bad but it felt so good. It wasn't late but it had been a long couple of days. She was just finishing up her paperwork, like her two colleges were supposed to be doing. Although, to her it looked like they were flinging rubber bands at each other, thinking she couldn't see.<p>

"I hope you guys have finished your report," she called loudly across the precinct floor as to draw attention to them.

In response a rubber band came flying her way. Becket groaned. She felt like she was in charge of kids in preschool. Although they weren't respecting her by calling her Miss Beckett, no they were calling her Mom. Picking up the rubber band, she blindly sent it back across to the two kids and smiled when she heard Ryan yelp. Ha ha. She hadn't even aimed.

"You know if we get a case, the paper work is just going to pile up and you won't be able to have a few days off when you want."

They didn't respond but she did notice the lack of a rubber band twang sound. Beckett picked up her pen again and starting crossing her t's and dotting her i's one last time before putting her signature on the bottom. She was done. It was almost 6 pm and if they didn't get a call in the next few minutes she could go home. A hot bath, a glass of red wine and a Richard Castle classic were calling her home and she couldn't wait. After her bath, Chinese food and some fluffy pajamas were the next on her list. Beckett looked at the clock, only two minutes to go then ecstasy would be hers. She couldn't wait and she shimmied her shoulders in delight.

Then her phone rang.

She looked at her phone and saw it was a call from a private number. This couldn't be good. Ryan and Esposito got up from their chairs and looked at her in despair.

"Beckett."

"Umm. Hi Detective Beckett. This is Richard Castle. It's not a bad time, is it?"

Beckett blinked few times. It was… She took a deep breath. It was... Richard Castle. He was calling her. She hadn't seen him since he left her apartment 6 weeks and 2 days ago. Not that she was counting. Hadn't spoken to him since he called her extraordinary. Coffee wasn't the same since he had made her a cup. Forget trying to lie on her couch without burning up thinking of him sleeping there. Or of him picking her up and putting her to rest there. Richard Castle was calling her.

"Detective?"

"No. No, sorry. It's not a bad time. Just give me a second to find somewhere quiet to talk." And to recompose herself.

Ryan and Esposito were frowning at her, so she waved them off. They got the message that it wasn't a case and went back to their desks. She hoped that they would finish their paperwork and not continue to fling rubber bands. That hope was dashed when a rubber band flew past her nose. Beckett walked into the conference room and shut the door, sending her partners a glare. She then turned her back on them. No way did she want them to see her talking to Castle. Not that they knew it was Castle. They still gave her grief for taking over the case.

"Hi sorry about that," she told him.

"No, I'm sorry. Are you at work?"

"Yeah I am," when wasn't she? "But it's fine."

"I wasn't sure when you would be home. I can call back some other time. Or you can call me if that works better for you," he offered.

"No. It's fine really. Montgomery filled you in on everything, right? I was going to call when we arrested Mike, but he said he was keeping you informed."

It had taken a few days, but in the end they had tracked down Mike Gerstern. He was squatting in the home of a very wealthy couple who were in Europe on vacation. The place looked like a scene out of a Richard Castle novel. Photos of Castle were sprawled across one wall. Some with Meredith and Alexis too. It was clear this was one over obsessed person. Finally, one of Mike's friends in LA gave him up. Something about making a great story for a movie.

At first, Mike had been unwilling to talk. Ryan and Esposito had told her to let it go, they had more then enough evidence to convict him. She needed more than that, she needed to know why. Why he had been stalking Castle. Why he had killed Meredith. Why was another child motherless. After a gruelling interrogation, putting way too much of herself into it, the suspect cracked. He had Richard Castle envy. Mike wanted to be rich and famous and he blamed Castle for that not happening. He also blamed him for Meredith ending their relationship. If he couldn't have her, then the author certainly wasn't going to either. The man was borderline delusional and would soon be behind bars for a very long time.

"Yes, Roy kept me updated. I still can't believe Meredith's ex killed her because of me."

"It wasn't your fault Castle. You did nothing wrong."

"Deep down I know that but if..."

"No buts," she told him. "You can't spend your whole life wondering if only."

She heard him sigh.

"Yeah I guess. Thank you again for clearing my name, by the way."

"I didn't do anything really. It's my job to track down criminals, you weren't a criminal," Beckett tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It wasn't the first time he had told her thank you, but it still made her smile.

"Thankfully you saw that."

"No problem." And it really was. "So was there something I can help you with? Need a parking ticket fixed?"

She heard him sigh. "No, actually I wanted to talk to you about my daughter."

Beckett frowned. "Alexis. Is she okay?"

"No she isn't, and I'm getting worried."

Beckett gulped. She felt like an idiot for asking about fixing parking tickets. How could she be so insensitive?

"Tell me what's been going on."

"I know she is grieving because she lost her mother, I am grieving too. It's just I've never lost anyone close to me. I don't know how to handle this situation and I didn't know who to call."

Beckett bit her lip. That often happened. Losing someone was hard whether it was expected or not. Most people didn't know how to deal with it even if they had lost someone before. There was plenty of help out there, but people often didn't know how to get it. Either that, or they thought they were weak for asking. She had struggled for years before finally seeking therapy. She still went once a month just to talk to someone. Lanie, Ryan and Esposito all knew about her mother's death, but she rarely spoke to them about it.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry for bothering you at work for this. I know this isn't part of your job, but I am at my wits' end."

Beckett trembled as she heard despair in his voice. "No Castle. It's fine really. I gave you my number if you ever needed anything. I'm glad you called. A lot of people refuse to admit they need help. I can give you the number of my therapist if you like. Maybe some websites that are good with this sport of thing. "

She heard him sigh. "I have tried two therapists, and they don't seem to be getting through to her. She won't really talk to them. "

"It's hard to find a therapist you like. It took me a few times until I found a good one and then they moved. I had to start the process all over again. Mine is very good, but everyone is different. What I like, you and Alexis might not like."

"Oh, I haven't seen a therapist."

"Oh. You know you should, even if it is just for a session or two. If you see the same one Alexis does, it might give you some insight into why they aren't working? Trust me: I've had therapists who were just jerks or insensitive."

"Okay," he sighed.

Beckett bit her lip. He said okay, but it didn't seem like he was.

"Is there anything else can I do to help?"

"Could you talk to Alexis?" he replied quickly.

He wanted her to talk to his daughter? Beckett was surprised by this. She wasn't a professional therapist. Not only that, but she figured he would want to keep his business in house, especially considering it was about his daughter.

"Umm. Listen Castle, I'm not a qualified councillor."

"I know but you have been there. You know what my daughter is going through."

Beckett took a deep breath. "No I don't." She then rubbed a hand over her face. She started to feel the darkness sweeping over her. It didn't always come when she started thinking about her mother's death but she felt now.

Castle was silent for some time.

"You mean you lied to my daughter. You lied to me. You didn't really lose your mother. Of course you didn't. You were just trying to get information out of my daughter - I get it. It helped solved the case right. Well, I'm glad. I'm sorry I called. "

"No. NO," she insisted. "I didn't lie Castle. My mom was..." Beckett gasped for air. She couldn't do this , no here. "What I meant was I don't know what your daughter is going through. Everyone deals with grief differently. Just because I have been through similar circumstances to your daughter doesn't mean I know what it's like to be her. I promise I didn't lie to either of you. Not about this."

"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I am such an idiot," he told her. "I'm just very cautious when it comes to my daughter. I wouldn't be asking for help if I wasn't desperate. Alexis means the world to me and I'll be honest with you, I'm scared. She is my baby and she is hurting and I cant stop it."

Beckett's heart broke at the man's admission. He was scared. Scared about what was happening to his daughter. Even though she couldn't see his tars she could hear his sniffles and labored breathing. There was no way she could deny this man.

"Tell me what's been going on?"

"Umm,"

He seemed confused by her question. Almost as if he didn't expect her to help.

"I want to help Castle. Please"

"She hasn't cried."

Beckett frowned. "She was crying the day it happened."

"Yeah, but not since then. I've told her its okay to cry but she won't."

"Maybe she doesn't want you to see her cry." Beckett offered.

"It's possible, but we have always been so close. The day she got her period she came running up to me all excited and dragged me to the supermarket to get her some supplies. I nearly fainted but she was so happy about becoming a woman."

"Well, she wanted to share her happy news with you. This is different."

He was silent for a few minutes before answering. "I guess."

"What else is going on?" Beckett questioned.

"She isn't eating much. Alexis was never a big eater, she usually liked to graze over the day. Eat five or six small meals instead of the three that I usually eat. Lately I can barely get her to eat one full meal. She is wasting away."

Beckett gulped. Okay, so she had definitely been there. She still kept a pair of jeans as a reminder of how dangerously thin she got. Slipping into that deep dark hole was not an option, for her or anyone else.

"When I look into my baby's eyes, all I see is darkness. It's like I don't even know her. I don't expect her to be doing cartwheels, and I know she needs time, but I'm worried I'll lose her."

This man had lost his ex-wife. She didn't know the circumstances of their divorce, but there had to have been love at some point in their relationship. He needed time to grieve but he couldn't do that: not while he was trying to keep his daughter alive.

"Okay. What can I do to help?"

"Really. Seriously," he exclaimed. "Ohthankyouthankyouthank you."

Beckett smiled at his jumbled words. She hadn't even done anything yet.

"Can you come and speak to her. I don't think over the phone will do. She hasn't really been saying much in person. Maybe seeing you will help. "

"Okay. I guess I could do that." She could spend a few hours with the young woman, it couldn't hurt. "Can I have your new address?" she looked at her father's watch on her wrist. "Would you like me to come now? My shift ended a minute ago."

"You'd be willing to come now. But if your shift has ended, doesn't that mean you have been working all day? You must be tired."

Beckett held back a sigh. She was exhausted, but a few hours sleep was nothing compared to helping someone get their life back. "Alexis needs help. I want to do what I can. It's fine."

"Okay. I appreciate it. The thing is we aren't at our new home. The loft we bought is really great. It's large and has lots of room but it needs to be redecorated. Well, at least that was what mother said after she claimed a room for herself. We have been staying with a friend of my mother's, but it isn't home and Alexis just seemed to be getting worse. Roy said we were okay to leave town once the investigation was over so I've taken Alexis to our house in the Hamptons."

"Oh." That's right: he did mention having a summer home.

"Yeah. She has school but her teachers have been really good. Alexis was always ahead on her work anyway, but she is still studying some of the time. Her teachers have been emailing her everything she needs to do. I was planning on staying here until Alexis gets better. But, it's been two weeks and nothing has changed. I guess going to the beach isn't a magical cure that will fix anything."

"It was a good idea. Sometimes getting away does help."

"That's what I thought. If you're willing to talk to her, I guess we could come back. Our home won't be ready for at least a week but the media has died down. We could stay in a hotel."

Beckett shook her head at the idea. Alexis had been through enough. She didn't need to move into a hotel, but if what Castle was saying was correct, waiting a week longer could be detrimental.

"No Castle, it's fine. The Hamptons isn't that far. I could drive out for the day. Being in an environment where she feels safe is probably the best thing for her."

"I couldn't ask you to drive out here just for a day."

"It's fine," she told him. "It's not all that far."

"I still feel bad about it. I honestly didn't think this through. I wanted you to help Alexis, but I wasn't sure if you would say yes or no. We have plenty of bedrooms, you are more than welcome to stay overnight and then drive back the next day. I am not asking you to take time off work or anything. You probably can't get the time off of work at such late notice anyway, otherwise I'd ask if you wanted to stay longer. The house is right on the beach but we also have a pool and a beautiful deck area. I'm sure Alexis would like it if you were here. She talked about you a lot when we drove to your place that night. It was the next day when she stopped; I guess it kind of just hit her. It's why I thought perhaps you could help. Alexis really seemed to connect with you."

Beckett bit her lip. Tomorrow was supposed to be her day off and her team wasn't on call. Maybe she could talk to her captain about having the late shift the day after. That way, it would give her plenty of time to get back if she stayed overnight.

"I actually have tomorrow off. Let me go and talk to my Captain, see if I can switch shifts. Can I call you back in a few minutes?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to cause trouble. If you want, I could call Roy and explain. I know the mayor: I could pull a few strings so you don't get in trouble."

Beckett smiled. This man really was generous.

"Let me talk to Montgomery first and I'll call you back, okay?"

"Are you sure? I don't want you to waste your day off. I know how hard you work."

"Castle don't make me reach through this phone and tweak your ear. I call you back okay."

"Okay. Thanks."

Beckett walked out of the conference room and over to her desk. She put her computer into shut down mode before walking over to knock on her captain's door.

"Come in."

"Good evening sir."

Captain Montgomery looked up from his paperwork. "Detective Beckett. I thought you went home when those yahoos you call partners did."

She shook her head. "No Sir. I got a call so I went into the conference room."

He frowned at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes and no."

Montgomery nodded. "Maybe you should sit down."

Beckett took a seat. "Thank you sir."

"So why don't you tell me about this call."

"The call was from Castle."

"From Rick. If there's a problem, why didn't he call me?"

Beckett bit her lip. She wasn't sure how much she should reveal. Castle had been vigilant about keeping his daughter out of the media, although she was sure Montgomery wouldn't say anything to anyone.

"It was about his daughter sir. It seems she hasn't been taking the death of her mother well and he is quite worried."

Montgomery frowned. "So why is he calling you?"

Beckett shrugged. "I guess he thought I could help because of my mother."

Montgomery raised his brows at her. "You told him about your mother?"

Beckett nodded. Montgomery was the only other person at the precinct who knew about her mother. He also knew how she liked her privacy.

"I am impressed Detective."

"Slaughter was grilling her, sir, and I needed her to know I was on her side. I thought telling her might help. She was able to give us vital information about Mike Gerstern. "

"You did good work, Detective. The mayor was very impressed. He is hosting an event in a couple of weeks and has already asked for your team to be available to attend."

Beckett tried to hide her dismay. The mayor expected them to be there for protection work.

"Don't jump to conclusions Detective, he wants you there as guests. My wife and myself are invited too. She is already out looking for a dress and advised me to let your team know soon. It takes forever to find the right dress and partner to go to an important event. Or so she informs me. I would have told your team this evening but I don't believe in rewarding rubber band flinging. "

Beckett nodded. "Thank you Sir. I am sure you told the mayor that the invite wasn't necessary and we were just doing our jobs."

"I did. You're not turning down an invite to the mayor's party, are you Beckett?"

She shrugged. Formal parties weren't really her thing. "I just think our time would be better spent catching criminals than mingling with celebutants."

"Well, the Mayor likes to let the celebutants know they are well looked after. You will be attending the event."

"Yes sir."

"So Alexis is taking the death of her mother hard. That's understandable."

Beckett nodded. "Yes it is. He is quite concerned about her health and mental wellbeing, and I was wondering if I could go and speak to her."

"She should seek some professional help."

"I suggested that sir, but they have already spoken to two and got nowhere so far."

Montgomery shrugged. "Well, I'm guessing it couldn't hurt for you to go and speak to her. Was there a reason you were coming to see me? You don't need my permission to speak to Rick and his daughter. You certainly didn't ask for it when they stayed at your home."

Beckett's mouth dropped open. "I... Um.. Sir they had nowhere else to go."

Montgomery laughed. "It's fine Beckett. I was just surprised."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. For my privacy and theirs."

"No problem. And just between us, don't do it ever again. So was there a reason you came in here?"

Beckett nodded. "Yes sir. Castle has gone to stay at his home in the Hamptons. He was hoping the change of scenery would help Alexis but it hasn't. I know we have the day off tomorrow but I was hoping to get the late shift for the day after. I told Castle I didn't mind driving up but he felt bad asking me to drive so far just for a day. He has said I can stay over and drive back the next day. It would give me more of a chance to speak to his daughter and hopefully make some progress. I know it's last minute but.."

Montgomery waved her off. "It's fine Detective."

"So it's okay.'

Montgomery sat back in his char. "When was the last time you took some time off?"

Beckett frowned. "I had the flu a couple of months ago sir. I took a day off then."

He shook his head. "No, I mean had time off. Like a proper break."

Beckett lowered her head. "It has been awhile sir."

"Right. Well it's about time you used some of those days up."

"Sir."

"The Hamptons should be lovely this time of year. Get some sunlight and fresh air. Take a few days off. I am sure Ryan and Esposito can act like adults for a few days while you are away."

"It's not necessary sir."

"Are you saying Rick's daughter doesn't require more than one day of your time."

Beckett shook her head. "No sir. Thank you sir."

"Three extra days and I am filling out the paperwork myself so don't even think about changing it."

Beckett stood up and exited the room, not quite sure what had happened. Starting her shift later in the day was all she had asked. If he had said no, she would have just made the trip back late at night. He was now giving her a few days off.

Beckett went to her desk and picked up her things. She would text Ryan and Esposito and come up with some excuse for her last minute absence. As she entered the elevator, she scrolled through the numbers on her phone until she found Castle's. His number had come up as private, but he could just have his number blocked or called from another number.

"Beckett. Hi."

She smiled. He obviously had put her number into his phone too.

"Hi Castle. Sorry I took so long."

"It's no problem. I didn't get you in trouble?"

Beckett laughed. "No actually, Montgomery was more than happy for me to have time off. I am sorry but I told him it was for Alexis - I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not. Roy won't speak to anyone."

"I asked for the morning after tomorrow off but he actually told me to take a few days. I haven't taken time off in a while."

"Really that's great. I'll get a room set up for you. It will be a great place for you to relax for a few days"

Beckett bit her lip nervously. "Are you sure? I know you value your privacy. I could get a room at a hotel or just come up for the day."

"No no, it's fine. I trust you. So when can you come up?"

Beckett gulped. Did he just say he trusted her? He trusted her.

"Well, I'm on my way home now."

"So you will come tonight?" he asked eagerly.

"No. I'll need to go home and pack a few things. Shower and eat, it's been a long day and I don't know if it would be safe for me to drive tonight."

"I could send a car for you."

"Umm."

"I'm sorry if I sound so pushy. When I got off the phone, Alexis came in and asked who I was talking to. When I said it was you, she perked up a bit. She actually spoke and asked how you were going and when we might be seeing you next. I didn't want to say anything in case you couldn't come. It would be great if you could be here when she wakes up. Kind of like a nice surprise. She told me she was going to bed early; she has been doing that a lot. What kid wants to go to bed early?"

Beckett sighed. Her night of Chinese food and a Castle novel was going to need to wait. She was tired but if Castle sent a car for her, there was no reason why she couldn't catch a few winks. It would mean she wouldn't have to get up early and drive all the way there. Alexis needed her help. Beckett didn't know if she could help her or not, but she had to try.

"Okay. Can you give me an hour before sending the car? It should give me time for me to get organized."

"Sure. Bring a swim suit, Alexis often goes for a swim. Well she used to anyway. I've been trying to get Alexis out of the house, so maybe something to wear out to dinner. If that's okay with you?"

Beckett gulped. Dinner with Richard Castle.

"Sure. I don't want to be an imposition. Montgomery gave me a few days but I can leave whenever you want your privacy back."

Castle laughed. "I'm sure your company will be well received by both of us."

"Okay. Well I'll see you soon."

* * *

><p><em>Author Note:<em>

_So that's it for the case people. I never intended it to go on for so many chapters. I am going over my chapters already written and thinking about combining them so they are longer. O i could just update more frequently. Also if you have suggestions for a better summary of this story I am sooooo taking suggestions _


	8. The Breakfast of Champions

_Previously on Storm Clouds _

"_So you will come tonight?" he asked eagerly._

"_No. I'll need to go home and pack a few things. Shower and eat, it's been a long day and I don't know if it would be safe for me to drive tonight."_

"_I could send a car for you."_

"_Umm."_

"_I'm sorry if I sound so pushy. When I got off the phone, Alexis came in and asked who I was talking to. When I said it was you, she perked up a bit. She actually spoke and asked how you were going and when we might be seeing you next. I didn't want to say anything in case you couldn't come. It would be great if you could be here when she wakes up. Kind of like a nice surprise. She told me she was going to bed early; she has been doing that a lot. What kid wants to go to bed early?"_

"_Okay. Can you give me an hour before sending the car? It should give me time for me to get organized."_

* * *

><p>Richard Castle rolled over in bed and looked at the clock on his bedside table. He sat up to double check the time. 6:30. In the morning! He laid back down and groaned. The only time he liked to see 6:30 am was when he had stayed up all night writing. If he was up at 6:30, it meant he would need a nanna nap later in the day. Or worse, go to bed early. He did not go to bed early. As far as he was concerned, going to bed early meant you were old and he was not old. Old meant going and getting a prostate check done. That was not the way he wanted to get up close and personal with a camera.<p>

Castle flung back the covers and got up out of bed. There were three reasons for being in bed and they all started with S. Sleep, sick and sex. He was getting none of them. Although, his throat was sore. Maybe he should get some fresh air and sunshine. He walked over to the French doors and opened the curtains. After blinking a few times, he blindly reached for the handles and opened the doors. Suddenly the beautiful sea breeze was blowing over his body. He took a few steps out onto the balcony. There was something about a nice breeze that made him feel free. He loved the way it could blow the cobwebs out of his brain. The cool air made him want to run faster than he ever had before. Looking down at the beach, it seemed like someone else had the same idea.

There was a lone runner on the beach. Taking a closer look, he realised it was Beckett. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Unlike other runners he had seen on the beach the last few weeks, Beckett was modestly dressed. ¾ leggings and a fitted singlet didn't detract from how good she looked. If anything, he preferred that she was covered up. He always liked a mystery. There was something hypnotic about watching her running down the beach. She appeared so strong and agile. To think he had felt guilty for making her come up last night. When he answered the door she looked exhausted, so he had quickly showed her to her room. He hadn't expected her to be up so early considering it was her day off. Another thing he was feeling guilty about.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to call Beckett last night. Perhaps it was seeing Alexis not eat another meal and then walk off, pulling her shorts up because they were loose. It surprised him that Beckett even agreed to come. He hated having the disadvantage on the phone of not being able to pull his puppy dog look. It seemed it wasn't needed. He was sure when she said she would call him back that she was going to say no. That she had spoken to her Captain and couldn't get the time off. He would have understood too. It was a lot to ask. Hey, I'm a guy who was accused of murder, but will you come and see my daughter?

In the short time he spent with her, he could tell there was more to her than met the eye. When they first met and she started being nice to him, he just figured she was pulling the good cop bad cop routine with Detective Slaughter. Well, the incredibly hot and sexy cop, I'm a big jerk cop routine. Even when she had left the interrogation room, he was sure she was going to use what he had told her and twist it somehow. When she had re-entered the room, uncuffed him, and allowed him to be with his daughter, he started to think differently. He was taken out of the interrogation room and was introduced to Captain Montgomery. It was then he learned of Beckett's dedication into to finding the real killer and her taking over the case. Alexis had also told him how nice she had been.

Gratitude had been the reason for staying behind to wait for Beckett to return to the precinct. Most people only did something for him because they wanted something in return. She hadn't. The offer of her home for the night had been even more of a surprise. While he had been waiting for her to return, he had listened to the scuttlebutt around the precinct. Detective Slaughter had referred to her as 'That Bitch Beckett' but he was the only one. Bad Ass Beckett had been thrown around a few times, but it seemed to be due to admiration. Beckett went after a suspect as if her life depended on it, and he guess in a way it did. All lives were at risk while there was a murderer running around. He wondered if it was because her mother's killer was never caught.

Castle hoped she didn't think he was using guilt to get her to come and see his daughter. She had lost her mother and so had his daughter. He wasn't sure if she had come through the ordeal okay. There was so much hidden behind her eyes. She kept a lot of things hidden. While sitting at her desk, he noticed there weren't any family pictures. A quick rummage through her desk revealed none either. He had tried not to snoop when he had entered her home. It was a generous offer from someone he had already figured out liked to keep her private life home had few personal items. There was a picture of a young Beckett with who he naturally assumed were her parents on a dresser in her bedroom. He had seen it there when he had tucked his daughter in. Apart from that, the only other personal touch were her bookshelves full of books. No little knickknacks or photographs crammed in-between. Nope, it seemed his novels and a few other authors he'd rather not name or be associated with were as personal as she was going to get.

Yet she had invited him in, which was why he thought she might help now. He watched as Beckett turned and made her way back to his home. She was staying for at least three days: more than what he expected, and he was grateful for every second she was willing to spend with his daughter. Beckett didn't slow her pace until she made it all the way to the deck of his home. He watched as she stretched her muscles out and felt one of his own muscles twitch. That had been the last thing on his mind and it had been for several months. Maybe having Beckett here would be good for him, too. Castle stepped off the balcony and walked back into his room. It was time for him to have a shower and be a good host. Although, perhaps a few sit-ups were in order first.

Beckett slipped the last hash brown out of the pan and onto the spare plate. She hoped they tasted okay. It had been ages since she had made them. It was a pretty simply recipe. Grate potato into a bowl with one chopped up scallion and salt and pepper to taste. Pan fry them with a little bit of olive oil and you were done. Simple but delicious. Beckett turned back to the stove and flipped a pancake. The bacon was sizzling along nicely and all she had to do was cook the scrambled eggs. In home economics she had been taught to use a saucepan to cook the eggs. She preferred to use a frying pan. Castle only had three so she had to wait until she finished the hash browns before she could start the eggs.

Pouring the egg mixture into the pan, she looked over the other pans of food. Was she over doing it? She normally didn't eat this much for breakfast. Well, she didn't normally eat breakfast at all but this was no longer about her. As much as she enjoyed running on the beach, and would have loved to have been out there longer, she was here for Alexis. Castle was worried about his daughter and Beckett hoped she could help.

It had been late when she had arrived last night. Alexis had been asleep so she didn't have a chance to fully assess the situation. Castle had shown her to her room, but spent a few minutes filling her in on what had been going on. Not since the day they found out about Meredith had Alexis shed a tear. Eating, talking and smiling had been absent from her life, too. It was normal, she was grieving. Beckett was no expert, but she was going to do what she could. It may help Alexis to talk to someone other than her father. By the sounds of it, apart from Castle's family he had no real friends. Beckett supposed Alexis had girlfriends, but maybe she couldn't share this with them. At least she hadn't been able to do it.

Wishing she were an octopus, Beckett quickly removed all the pans from the stove and deposited the various foods on their plates. The food was all ready. She covered the plates for now, but would leave it all in the oven later. Beckett hoped the smell of the food would eventually entice Alexis out of her room.

"Dad. You aren't making a smorelette are you? You threw up last time."

Beckett smiled as she looked up and saw a pyjama-clad Alexis walk into the kitchen, rubbing her half open eyes. For someone who wasn't talking, she was sure talking more than she expected. Maybe Castle was just overreacting as a father.

"Hi Alexis. Did you sleep well?"

The young woman looked up at her in surprise.

"Detective Beckett. What are you doing here?"

Beckett bit her lip. Castle didn't want his daughter to know he had called her so they had come up with a lie. Beckett wasn't happy about lying to his daughter, but she was worried if Alexis knew the real reason, she would retreat further.

"Your Dad called me at the precinct last night. He wanted to organise a thank you for me and my partners. Something big and outlandish, but I told him it wasn't necessary. It's not really appropriate for us to accept gifts. So he mentioned you two were spending some time at the beach and asked if I was interested in joining you. I hope you don't mind. I initially said no, but the idea of spending time at the beach was to tempting. I spoke to my Captain to see if I could get the time off. It's been ages since I have had a decent break from work, and he was more than willing to let me go. I came up last night. I hope that's okay with you, because if it not I can leave"

Alexis shook her head. "No it's fine. It's nice here, I like it. It's peaceful."

Beckett nodded. "Yeah it is. I just came back from a run. It's really beautiful out there."

"Are you eating all of this food?"

Beckett shook her head.

"No I..."

"Do I smell bacon?" Castle asked as he entered the kitchen.

Beckett turned to look at the man who had entered and gulped. He was wearing a basic round neck t shirt and a pair of jean shorts. His hair was wet and his skin looked a little damp. She could smell what had to be the most intoxicating scent she had ever smelt. Was it his aftershave, his soap? Right now she didn't care. His scent combined with his casual attire was doing things to her body it had no right to be doing.

"Yeah, I raided your fridge. I hope you don't mind."

Castle laughed. "Mind you cooking? I don't think so. There looks like enough to feed an army. I'm assuming you cooked for us too." He looked at her hopefully.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. Grab a plate." She indicated the plates sitting on the bench. She had decided not to set the table, unsure on when the two Castles would be up. Lifting the covers off the food, she turned to the fridge to grab orange juice. Alexis would probably need the vitamin C.

"Bacon, pancakes, eggs, hash browns," Castle announced in delight. "Did we have hash browns in the freezer?"

"No, I made them," Beckett told them. She poured three glasses of juice and pushed one towards Alexis.

"You made them?" Castle asked as he forked one onto his plate.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. They're actually pretty easy to make. My Mom showed me how to make them."

"Your Mom?" a surprised Alexis asked.

Beckett watched as Castle looked at his daughter, then at her.

"Yeah. My mom worked late a lot, so we never really had family dinners. What we did have was Sunday breakfasts. She would make up a big feast just like this. Sometimes she made grilled tomatoes, these really buttery mushrooms and fried up spinach with garlic and onions. It was amazing."

"It's not Sunday." Alexis told her.

Beckett smiled. "I know. It's just I don't get much a chance to make a big breakfast like this for anyone. It was a nice gesture inviting me here, even though thanks weren't necessary. I figured making you guys breakfast was the least I could do."

"But doesn't it hurt?" Alexis asked.

Beckett pretended not to know what Alexis was talking about and starting piling food onto her plate. She put way too much on there but hoped Alexis would notice and start doing the same.

"Does what hurt?"

"Making breakfast like your mom used to do."

Beckett shrugged. "It took me a few years to even look at a hash brown. Then I knocked over some boxes one day and found pictures of my family having breakfast one Christmas morning. It wasn't just about the food: it was about spending time together. A few years ago I surprised my Dad on Father's Day with breakfast. The eggs were so runny because we were crying so much but in the end we started laughing. We started remembering the good times. Like when my Mom burned everything because she got so engrossed in a Richarrrr. In a book."

"A Richarrrr book?" Castle questioned.

Beckett bit her lip. "My Mom was a fan of yours. She really wanted to know who the killer was and forgot about the food."

Castle smiled at her. "Well, I'm sorry for that. This hash brown is incredible. No book of mine is worth burning a meal like this over. Don't you think, Alexis?"

Beckett looked at the plate in front of Alexis. It was still bare.

"Why don't we sit at the table instead? My legs are killing me after my run."

Beckett picked up her plate as well as the one containing the pancakes. She took it to the table and turned around to grab the rest of the food. Castle had taken a plate as well as his own and joined her. Beckett looked at Alexis. The young woman looked at her empty plate then at a plate of bacon sitting in front of her. She grabbed both pates and took them to the table. The three of them quickly transferred all the food to the table and sat down.

Beckett tried not to watch as Alexis put one slice of bacon and a pancake on her plate. Castle had said she was eating, but not a lot.

"Try a hash brown, Alexis. They're her favourite," Castle told Beckett.

Beckett watched as Alexis hesitantly reached forward and put a hash brown on her plate. She seemed to be eyeing it off for a second before cutting a piece of with the side of her fork. Alexis almost nervously put the piece into her mouth and started chewing. Her eyelids closed and Alexis smiled a little.

"These are really nice."

Beckett bit her lip and shared a secret smile with the author sitting to her right.

"I'm glad you like them. I can show you how to make them tomorrow morning if you like."

Alexis frowned. "But isn't it your mothers recipe?"

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, but it's no big secret."

"It doesn't hurt to talk about your Mom, share things about her?"

Beckett sighed. It was clear the young woman was in a lot of pain.

"It makes me sad that she isn't here, but I know my mom would want me to be happy. Sharing her recipe with you would make me happy. I am passing on her legacy and memories of her to someone else."

Alexis seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding and then adding some eggs to her plate.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the delay. Love yas<p> 


	9. Riding A Horse Naked

_Authors Note: Hey sorry with the delay. My poor Beta is sick while also dealing with well life. I've been a little ill to and I know reading fanfic while lounging in bed helps a lot. So I decided to upload an extra-long chapter for you however my Beta hasn't been over it yet. So I apologize for any mistakes and will upload the edited chapter once she is feeling better._

_Thanks for sticking with i__t_

* * *

><p><em>Previously On Storm Clouds<em>

"_I am glad you like them. I can show you how to make them tomorrow morning if you like."_

_Alexis frowned. "But isn't it your mothers recipe."_

_Beckett nodded. "Yeah but it's no big secret."_

"_It doesn't hurt to talk about your Mom, share things about her."_

_Beckett sighed. It was clear the young woman was in a lot of pain._

"_It makes me sad that she isn't here but I know my mom would want me to be happy. Sharing her recipe with you would make me happy. I am passing on her legacy and memories of her to someone else."_

_Alexis seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding and then adding some eggs to her plate._

* * *

><p>Beckett had just pulled a t shirt over her head when she heard a knock at the door. She combed a hand through her wet locks and picked her towel up from the bed.<p>

"Come in," she called out as she walked towards the door.

The door opened just as she got there. Alexis was standing there looking rather timid.

"Hi," Beckett offered when the young woman said nothing.

"Hi. I am not bothering you?"

Beckett shook her head. "No. Of course not. Would you like to come in?"

Alexis nodded and took a few steps in. Once Alexis started eating at breakfast she hadn't said much at all. The amount of food on her plate wasn't huge but Castle seemed to be happy. Once they had finished Castle had offered to do the dishes so Beckett had gone back upstairs to shower. She had changed into shorts and t shirts not sure on what the plans were for the rest of the day.

"Is there something you wanted?" Beckett asked hoping she wasn't being to insistent.

"Are you sleeping with my dad?"

Beckett stared at Alexis in shock. Huh. What. Was she serious?

"What?"

"Are you sleeping with my dad? You're here and he seems happier. I was wondering if you were sleeping with him."

Beckett shook her head stunned. She was a homicide detective. She had seen the worst of what humans could do to each other. Yet she had never been so shocked. "No. I'm not."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. "Then why are you here?"

Beckett bit her lip. "I told you. I wouldn't accept a gift but a few days at the beach seemed like a nice way to spend my time off."

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest showing the first bit of assurance Beckett had seen from the young woman. "I am not buying it."

Beckett sighed. Castle hadn't wanted his daughter to know the reason she was there. He didn't want her to know he was worried. If he knew that his daughter thought they were sleeping together she was sure he would change his mind.

"I am here for you."

"Me."

Beckett nodded. "Your father is concerned."

"But you're a cop not a therapist."

"I know. I tried to tell him that but he thought I could help anyway." Beckett was now regretting being here. What did she know about recovering from a tragic event anyway? It had taken her years and she still had deep emotional scars.

"Are you getting paid?"

Beckett raised her brows. Was she getting paid? Is this the kind of treatment the young girl had received over the years? That the only reason someone would want to help is because they were being paid. Beckett shook her head.

"No I am not being paid. I came because I wanted to help you if I could. I didn't handle my mother's death well and I'd hate for someone to go through the same thing I did. I felt like I had no one who cared what I was going through. If you want me to leave them I am gone. Your dad was just worried about you he was just trying to help. "

"I am fine."

Beckett nodded. "Okay. You're fine. Your dad probably just overreacted. Dads tend to do that. I think it's in the handbook or something. I'll go."

Beckett walked over to where her bag was. She always packed light and could be ready to go in minutes. It might be awhile before Castle was able to get a car to pick her up but she could wait downstairs or outside.

"So you're just going to leave." Alexis accused.

Beckett shrugged. "If you don't want me here then I see no reason to stay. This is your home and I am just a guest. You came here for a reason and I don't want to intrude on that."

"I didn't say I didn't want you here, I just said I was fine."

Beckett smiled, she was making progress. She let the smile slip from her face before turning around to face Alexis.

"So I can stay?"

Alexis shrugged. "If you want to. It's nice here. You mentioned at breakfast that you had a few days off. Were you planning on taking the time off already?"

"No but I wasn't lying when I said it had been ages since I took a break. I had today off but I asked for tomorrow morning off so I could stay here for at least 24 hours. My boss offered me the extra days. Well it wasn't so much as an offer more of an order. I can be a bit of a workaholic"

"So you took leave for me?"

Beckett shrugged then nodded. She had. It was as if it had just dawned on her. She never took time off work and when she had it was for someone else. Alexis frowned and seemed to be thinking things over. She then turned and walked towards the door.

"Kate. There is a real nice area out by the pool. There are chairs in the shade and it's a nice place to read. You should grab a book and spend your time off relaxing."

Beckett smiled. "Thanks Alexis."

* * *

><p>Beckett readjusted her sunglasses before reaching for her bottle of water. She had been sitting out by the pool for well over an hour reading and couldn't remember the last time she had done that. Normally she read before going to bed, no matter how tired she was. She used to read in the bath tub but had dropped and destroyed one too many books that way. The last time she tried to sit outside in the sun and read she had been in Central park. Not even one page in and gun shots exploded throughout the park. Day off or not she was a cop and had given chase to the suspect.<p>

Now sitting out here in the sun reading and not being disturbed made her feel guilty. The luxury had come because someone had died. Unfortunately life went on. It was something one of her many therapist had told her. You couldn't dwell on it you just had to move on. It had taken her a long time to accept but she had, to a certain degree. It was the same now. Beckett had done all she could for Meredith now it was time to help Meredith's daughter. Beckett had taken Alexis advice and grabbed a book and headed out to the pool. She hadn't grabbed a Richard Castle novel. Nope that was hidden in a drawer under her underwear, for her to read in bed at night. She was reading Jill Shalvis. A romance author whose characters were witty, real and most importantly knew the importance of indulging on wine, chocolate and life. Sometimes she really did need something light and fluffy.

She was about to return to her book when she spotted movement just out of her peripheral vision. Even though she wasn't reading a single word on the page Beckett kept her eyes glued to the book in front of her. Alexis flopped down on the pool chair next to her. Beckett glanced to her right to acknowledge her then returned to her book hoping the young woman would make the first step.

"Sorry for insinuating you were sleeping with my dad."

Beckett still kept her eyes glued to the page not that Alexis could see her eyes behind her sunglasses.

"No problem. You wake up and find a woman in the kitchen you are bound to jump to conclusions."

"Don't believe everything you see in the media Detective. Dad goes to a lot of events with different woman but he isn't the playboy he's made out to be. He dates but he hasn't brought many of them home to meet me. Never brings any of them here that's for sure."

Beckett took in this information. It was quite surprising for it to come from the author's daughter. If she were here for any other reason she would think she was being set up.

"You know for someone who isn't meant to be talking much you certainly doing a lot of it." Beckett turned to look at Alexis and realised she should have kept her mouth shut. The young girl immediately seemed to shirk back into herself.

"Is that what dad told you? That I am not talking."

Beckett nodded.

"What am I supposed to say? Hey dad Mom died, I think the weather is going to be great today."

Beckett sighed. She noticed the tone in Alexis' voice. The young woman was defensive and that was definitely something she could relate to. Beckett closed her book and spun around on her chair to face Alexis.

"No but you can say. Dad, Mom's death has really shaken me. I am just not feeling myself at the moment and I don't know how to deal with it."

Alexis bit her lip. "How do you deal with it?"

"How do I deal with it? Or how does one deal with it."

Alexis shrugged. "Both."

"Honestly you just take it one day at a time. Some days will be easy some will be hard. Cliché I know but that's what one of my therapists told me."

"Therapist," Alexis scoffed. "How does your mother's death make you feel," she mocked. "How do you think it makes me feel moron." Alexis shook her head and then flopped back down on the chair and crossed her arms. Her eyes widened and she sat up. "I wasn't referring to you."

Beckett laughed. "I know and I've had more than a few therapist bug me to. Moron is being polite compared to some of the names I've called them. In my head and out loud. They asked the most stupid questions at least some of them do. I've been lucky to find a real good one that I see at the moment."

"You still see someone?" there was a hint of surprise in her voice.

Beckett nodded."Yeah. Kind of like a booster shot. I go once a month, tell her about what's been happening. Sometimes I don't even talk about my mother. The last time I went I talked about you."

Alexis' brows rose. "Me."

"Yeah. My appointment was a few days after your mother's case and I was so glad I kept it. With my hours I sometimes have to reschedule and it can be weeks before I can get another one. As soon as I walked in I started talking about you and your mother. I didn't tell her any specific details or names or anything. I just told her there was a case that brought up a lot of issues and feelings. In the past dealing with a young woman whose mother has been killed would have shaken me to the core. I would have totally lost it as soon as I had a chance to breath. Yet I didn't this time. My focus was on finding the truth and freeing your father. On making sure you had the care and attention you needed to deal with it all. It was a good day in the sense that I kept it together and that really surprised me." Beckett hung her head down and took a few deep breaths. She never really spoke to anyone about this kind of thing, except for her therapist.

"But you have had worse? Worse days?" Alexis asked leaning forward trying to get in the detectives vision

Beckett nodded before raising her head and offering Alexis a weak smile. "Oh yeah." Beckett blew out a breath of air. "The anniversary of her death, her birthday even Christmas can be hard. Like I said you just push through it. Sometimes I distract myself. I make sure I work over Christmas; I invite my friend Lanie over for a girl's night. Then there are times when I lock myself in my apartment and just let myself cry it out."

"You cry?"

"Yeah." She shook her head and rolled her eyes admitting to it. "Oh yeah, full on ugly crying. Sometimes it's cathartic and it's the relief I need. Other times I can act irrationally."

Alexis frowned and began ringing her hands. "What do you mean irrationally?"

"I throw things. Kick things. I broke my favourite octopus hair clip because it was holding my hair in a tight bun and I needed to be free. I ripped it from my hair and threw it against the wall. It shattered." Beckett winced. Did she really want to admit how at times she lost control? She looked at Alexis who seemed to be taking it all in. Maybe this was exactly what the young woman needed. To hear about someone else's experience. "Sometimes I get angry and just feel like punching something. So I'll go to the gym and wail on a bag or an unsuspecting police officer at the precinct. I just feel like I need to get it out no matter how irrational it seems."

"I don't think it's irrational. In fact it's what I feel like doing a lot."

Beckett stood up. "Okay let's do it." Beckett walked around the pool and grabbed some foam boards that were obviously used as floatation devices. "Do you have any string, twine, something to tie these to me?"

"You can't be serious?"

Beckett shrugged. "Why not? You have anger and aggression and you need to get it out. I'd rather you wail on me than ruin a perfectly good hair clip. It was purple and I can only find them in black now. I think i saw some string in the kitchen drawer when I was cooking this morning."

"You are serious?" Alexis asked incredulously.

Beckett took the foam boards over to Alexis and dropped them on the chairs. "We can sit here all day and talk or we can actually do something. You're angry about what happened and you have every right to be. Why let that anger go to waste. Holding your feelings in wont help, believe me I know. It will just sit inside of you and fester and come out at the most inappropriate time. "

Alexis looked at the boards and then back up at her than walked off. Beckett didn't follow her. Sometimes when people walked away you needed to let them go. Alexis didn't seem like the type to walk off as a ploy to see if the person would follow. Beckett made the right decision as Alexis came walking back outside with strings and scissors in her hands. Placing a foam board against her leg Beckett grabbed the string and wrapped it around her leg a few times before tying a knot and cutting the ends. She did the same with the other leg then shook both her legs to make sure they stayed in place. They were a little floppy and the string bit into her legs slightly but it would do for now. If Alexis got some benefit out of it she could go to a sport store and buy some better equipment.

"I don't know if I can kick you Detective."

"Call me Kate or Beckett and you won't be kicking me."

"I won't?" Alexis asked confused looking down at the ford boards on the detectives legs.

Beckett shook her head. "Nope. I didn't do anything wrong. Now you can either think I am the guy who killed your mother or you can just simply vent. Kick the boards not me." Beckett held up two foam boards over her chest for extra padding. "Okay now get the anger out."

Alexis looked at her warily.

"You said you were angry," Beckett was trying to rile the girl up slightly. "Get that anger out."

Alexis took a step forward and gingerly punched the foam board over Beckett's chest. Beckett raised a brow at the punch that didn't even need a foam protection.

"Is that all you got?" the foam boards weren't to hard and shouldn't do any damage to the girls hands.

Alexis punched her again, this time a little harder.

Beckett nodded. "Okay now how about a kick."

Alexis awkwardly lifted her leg and slightly slapped the board on Beckett's leg. She then did it again this time a little harder. A slight smile appeared on her face and Alexis kicked a third time even harder.

Beckett smiled and nodded. "That's good. Now try yelling out some things while punching and kicking."

Alexis frowned. "Like what?"

Beckett shrugged. "Anything. Random words. Things you hate. What you are feeling inside. One word per jab. It's another way of relieving your anger. You need to get it all out otherwise it will eat you from within. Hit as hard as you can and yell as loud as you want. There are no houses close by only the seagulls will hear you, and well me. Pretend you are Rocky Balboa or that chick from Million Dollar Baby."

Alexis narrowed her eyes but Beckett just shrugged at her.

"Come on. It's just you and me; there is no need to be embarrassed."

Alexis nodded. "Okay." She rose up on her toes and started bouncing from one leg to the other. Shaking her arms for a few seconds she then brought her hands up. One was covering her face the other her chest. Alexis started making a jab or two staying in her boxing character.

"Okay now yell."

"Worms," Alexis yelled as she punched Becket in the chest.

Beckett took a step back and laughed. "What?"

Alexis stopped dancing around and lowered her hands. "I hate worms. Worms, snakes, any kind of wiggly insect. Spiders I can handle which is good because Dad screams like a girl when he sees them."

Beckett nodded. Okay everyone had their own unnatural fears and no matter how ridiculous it seemed to others it was terrifying for that person. Beckett had a cousin who was afraid of chickens. The live ones not the frozen ones in the supermarket.

"Okay worms it is. Worms!" she yelled as she took a step towards Alexis.

"Worms," Alexis yelled loudly as she punched Beckett in the chest again. "Worms, snakes, sticks."

"Sticks?" Beckett questioned.

"They look like snakes," Alexis told her before kicking Beckett on the leg.

"Alexis what are you doing?" Castle yelled as he ran over towards them.

Beckett and Alexis turned to look at the man running over to them. Beckett noticed his gaze drifted down to her legs. He stopped running instead slowly made his way over to her curiously.

"Beckett. What are you doing?"

Beckett looked over to Alexis who had stepped back and was looking down. She had shrunk back into herself again. Alexis wasn't offering up and explanation so it was up to Beckett to respond.

"Umm Alexis was asking me about what kind of training I had to do to become a cop. The physical side of things. I sometimes have to take on people bigger than you Castle so I offered to show Alexis some fighting and self-defensive moves. I hope that's okay."

Castle looked at her then looked at his daughter. "Yeah of course. Maybe she can use it on a boy if he tries to get too hands on."

"Dad," Alexis whined looking up at him embarrassed.

Castle chuckled. "I don't mind you teaching her some moves. Maybe you could teach me some too."

Beckett smirked at him. "To use it on men if they get to handsy with you?"

Castle's smile dropped causing Beckett to frown. She then looked over at Alexis who was trying to hold back a smile. Beckett's eyes widened.

"You mean a man tried to man handle you Castle."

The man before her notably gulped. "Yeah. Apparently I have quite a large gay following. I was told I have a nice bread basket."

Beckett bit her lip trying not to laugh. She just simply nodded in understanding.

"Anyway I am sorry I was held up for a bit. I had to take a call from Gina. She is my ex wife and publisher."

Beckett nodded. "I know."

He quirked a brow at her.

"It was in your file," she told him hoping her nose wasn't growing with her lie.

"Oh okay. Anyway it took so long because she was hassling me about wanting pages for my new book. I told her she wouldn't like what I had written but she insisted I send it anyway. Do you know a good lawyer? For some reason mine retired after recent events and possibly a few other things I have done over the years. I might need a lawyer once Gina finds out I sent her 100 pages of question marks."

Beckett wasn't sure how to react to that news. She did think it was quite funny that he had sent his obviously insensitive publisher 100 pages of nothing. However if he sent her nothing it meant that he had nothing.

"Well my Dad is a lawyer."

"Really?"

Beckett nodded and grimaced when she realised she was supposed to call him back about a week ago and never got around to it. They exchanged emails and text messages but that didn't compare to hearing the voice of a loved one. She would call him later; she actually had to talk to him about something.

"Yeah. My mother was too."

Castle nodded. "Smart family. Well looks like I might need the services of another Beckett to get me out of trouble."

Beckett smiled. She doubted he would actually need the services of a lawyer but she would mention it to her father when she called him. He normally didn't deal with that sort of thing but a big name client would be good for him. When he had started drinking his firm had kept him on for as long as they could. When he had turned up to court drunk they had no choice but to dismiss him. Beckett cringed remembering the six months where he had stayed at home and did nothing. Then one night he had gone out to go and buy more alcohol. He had slept all day and his blood alcohol level was well below legal limit. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the man who ran a red light and slammed into her father's car. When she had run into his room at the hospital tears running down her cheeks, he had started to cry also. Her father apologized and asked her to look into rehab facilities for him. Going to buy more alcohol had almost killed him, yet he could have killed someone if he had been drinking and driving. Another family could have lost a love one. After he sobered up he started looking for work but his reputation as a drunk was against him. He free-lanced for a while and then went to work at a friend's firm. It was an okay place to work but hadn't been happy there. He had only been at his current firm for a year and a half but still felt like he was on probation.

"Beckett,"

Beckett shook her head.

"I am sorry what?"

"If you would prefer that I don't call your father that's fine. I don't exactly have to best reputation. Gina probably won't sue just yell a lot."

"It's fine Castle. I'll give you his number just in case you need it."

Castle nodded. "Okay thanks. Anyway I am going to the store. I know you came up here at the last minute, did you need anything?"

Beckett shook her head. "No I have everything I need."

"Okay. Well I need to go and get some more groceries any requests?"

Normally she ate out of Styrofoam containers. It was actually cheaper that way. If she bought groceries she usually ended up throwing them out before she ate them. When she did have time off she tried to eat as healthy as possible. Even when eating junk she tried to choose healthier options or picked foods that contained high energy ingredients.

"Actually I am a picky eater and I wouldn't mind cooking a meal or two for the both of you while I am here."

"Oh. Well you're more than welcome to come with me. I was coming out here to see if either of you want to come too."

Beckett looked over at Alexis who shook her head so Beckett did the same. She was just starting to make progress with Alexis and she wanted to stick with it.

"No," Beckett told him as she walked over awkwardly with the foam boards on her legs. "But if you give me a pen and paper I can write a list."

Castle pulled out a pen and notebook out of his pocket. Beckett looked at him warily. Why did he have that on him? It also squelched her plan to speak to the author.

"It's a habit as a writer. I always carry a pen and paper even though I can just whip out my phone and send myself an email."

Beckett took the pen and paper from him and quickly wrote out a list. She included fruits and vegetables he probably already had in his home as well as some snack foods. Handing back the paper she winked at Castle. He smiled at her and she could tell he seemed a little confused by her wink.

"Well if neither of you are coming and are fine here I might make a few stops on the way there. Check in with a few friends. I was thinking a light lunch when I get back. I don't know about everyone else but I am a bit full from breakfast."

Beckett agreed. She was no way near hungry but she would stuff her face full of food for Alexis benefit.

"A chicken salad or a whole wheat wrap would be good." Beckett turned to look at Alexis. "That okay with you Alexis."

Alexis shrugged. "Yeah whatever."

Beckett's heart clenched when she saw sadness in Castles eyes. Even the slightest difference in Alexis tone and the writer was a wreck. Beckett had to get Castle away from Alexis and Alexis needed time to grieve.

"Okay Castle we will be fine until you get back."

The author took the hint and left the two of them by the pool. Beckett turned back to Alexis and saw the teen frowning at her.

"Why didn't you tell dad what we were really doing?"

Beckett shrugged. "You didn't seem to want him to know."

"But isn't that why you are here?"

Why was she here? She still wasn't sure herself. All she knew was this girl needed help and she knew how hard it was for people to accept it. "I am here to spend time with a friend. I was hoping to relax and maybe help them relax to. Beating the crap out of something helps me relax. So are you ready for some more."

Beckett held the foam board back in front of her chest. She waited for a few seconds while Alexis seemed to be weighing up her options. Alexis then dealt an unexpected kick to Beckett's legs.

"Worms," Alexis yelled as she kicked again,

Beckett smiled and held up the foam board over her chest.

"Worms, snakes, sticks, death." Alexis yelled as punched Beckett in the chest over and over again.

Beckett tried not to wince when she heard the word death.

"Blood. Death. Still. Dead." Alexis accompanied each word with a punch.

Beckett gulped. This was what she was after but now that it was here she was starting to dread it.

"Dead." Alexis dealt a punch that could have toppled a much bigger person.

Beckett stood her ground waiting for the dam to be unleashed.

"Why? Why did she have to die?"

Alexis then kicked out but didn't aim for Beckett's legs she aimed for the chest. Although Beckett had been expecting powerful punches once Alexis got going the kick had been unexpected. She stumbled back and fell onto her chair.

"Kate," Alexis screamed.

Beckett struggled into a seated position as Alexis rushed over to her.

"I am sorry. So sorry." Alexis muttered.

"Alexis it's okay."

"I'm sorry," this time it came out as a sob.

Beckett threw the foam board down and pulled Alexis into her arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Beckett held onto Alexis and tried to sooth her as she cried.

"It's okay. Alexis it will be okay."

"How can it be okay?" she wailed as she gripped onto Beckett tighter. "My mom is dead. She died while she was visiting me."

Beckett's lip began to tremble. She had gone through the same thing. Survivors gilt. If she hadn't gone away to school then they wouldn't have been going out to dinner. She ran a thousand different possible situations through her head. All of her theories had holes in them bigger than New York City. Yet when she was grieving they were all very possible reason why it was her fault.

"This is not your fault Alexis. Her ex-boyfriend is the only one to blame for her death. Not you. Do you hear me? Your mother was in New York because she loved you and wanted to spend time with you." Anger started to sweep through her. "Don't you dare ever blame yourself for it?" she practically yelled. "It's not your fault."

"Why did she have to die?" Alexis wailed. "She was just starting to be a real mother. I want her back."

Beckett held onto Alexis tight. It was all she could to stop herself from falling apart. Holding Alexis didn't stop the tears from falling from her own eyes.

"I know. I want my Mom back too."

"I didn't get enough time with her."

Beckett continued to running a soothing hand down Alexis back.

"I know."

"Who is going to help me on my wedding day? Who will be there for me when I have a baby? She is supposed to be there, she can't be dead. It isn't possible."

Beckett pulled out of the hug and grabbed Alexis' arms. "Alexis your mother is gone and I know that is hard. I've said and thought exactly the same thing you are telling me. She is gone though. Please tell me you understand that."

Alexis nodded as she tried to sniff back tears. "I know she is dead but..."

"Not buts Alexis. I am not asking you to accept your mother's death it's probably something you will never accept. What you need to do is find a way to move on from it. Your mother won't be there at your wedding. My mother won't be on my wedding day either. I am not sure what your religious beliefs are but I'd like to think that my mother will be watching me from heaven on that day. I pray that my Dad will be there for me as well as my friends and family who love me. It will be the same if I ever have children."

Alexis shrugged herself out Beckett's grip. "So what am I supposed to do just forget about her and go about my day?"

Beckett shook her head. "No. Never forget your mother; she is an important part for your life."

"Was," Alexis challenged.

"Still is. She will be with you always. What you have to remember is that you have a lot of people around you who love and care for you. While you are grieving the loss of your mother they are grieving for the loss of you."

"But I am here."

Beckett shook her head. "Are you? Are you really? From what your father is telling me you are the shell of the person you were."

Alexis opened her mouth to protest but Beckett held up her hand to stop her.

"It's okay I am not accusing you of doing anything wrong. You just need to be aware of what's going around you while you're grieving. He just wants to know that you are okay. He is worried. You need to remember he is grieving too."

Alexis shook her head. "They have been divorced for years."

"That may be so but he loved her at some point and probably always will. She helped him create you and he loves you very much. He is grieving for you too"

Alexis' shoulders slumped. "I guess."

"I don't think your father expects you to be out chasing butterflies. He just needs to know that you will eventually be okay. I think your father isn't used to you not being open with him. I know it was hard for him to ask me for help but he did it for you. He doesn't know how he can help you and I think that is making it even worse for him."

Alexis bit her lip. "I didn't mean to make my dad worry."

Beckett leaned forward. "He is your Dad he will worry about you always."

"I told him I was fine."

"Freaked out. Insecure. Neurotic. Emotional. Yeah I said I was fine too."

"You have seen The Italian Job?" Alexis asked surprised.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah it's a great movie."

Alexis let a small smile grace her lips "We have it here on our hard drive. Maybe we could watch it tonight?"

"Good idea. Sounds like fun."

At the mention of the word fun Alexis face turned sad once again.

"Hey. It's okay to have fun," Beckett told her.

"How can I have fun when my mother is dead?"

For over a year Beckett had refused to have fun too. Smile, laugh experience any form of happiness.

"She is dead not you. You need to continue on living to carry on her memory. Watching a movie isn't going to tarnish her memory."

Alexis shrugged. "So it's okay to be happy."

Beckett nodded. "Yes it is. You don't have to be happy today or tomorrow but when you do its okay. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

Alexis took a few deep breaths. "I don't want to be happy right now. I just want to scream and yell. To run away forever. Do something crazy. I just feel like I need to fly, be free."

Beckett sighed knowingly. That was definitely something she could relate to. She had gone and done a few crazy things. Died her hair pink, got a tattoo and drinking like her father. None of which she wanted for Alexis.

"Don't do something crazy. You will regret it. Then again it depends on your kind of crazy."

Alexis smiled whether she realised it or not. "Don't worry I won't steal a police horse while naked."

Beckett laughed. Oh how she wished she had been the officer who had arrested Castle while he gallantly road through Central Park. There had been a photo in with the report that she managed to see a week after the incident occurred. It had cost her a date with a pimple faced officer in order to see the report bit it was worth it.

"Okay no horse thievery. What do you want to do?"

Alexis shrugged. "I don't know something I would never do."

Beckett looked around. What could Alexis do that was crazy but not too dangerous? She looked towards the pool.

"Jump in the pool fully clothed."

Alexis looked towards the pool. "That's not very crazy."

Beckett shrugged. "It beats dying your hair pink or getting a tattoo." Beckett decided to leave out the drinking.

"Why would I do...?"

Beckett winced.

"You got a tattoo," Alexis exclaimed in shock.

"Yes and you better not get one. Or dye your hair. Your dad will call my boss and have my badge if you do."

Alexis walked over to the pool. "I was hoping for something wilder."

Beckett removed her watch from her wrist and took her phone from her pocket. She placed them on the pool chair before undoing the pads still on her legs.

"Have you ever done it before?"

Alexis shook her head. "No that's something Dad would do. Why would I jump in the pool with my clothes on? My room is right up there. It would take two seconds for me to run and change."

Beckett raised her brows at the young woman. Alexis looked at her than back at the water.

"It just seems so silly."

Beckett nodded. Yeah it did. Jumping into the pool wasn't crazy enough but it was a start. If Alexis was going to do this then she needed a push. Not literally though.

"Yeah it does," Beckett told her as she turned her back on the water. "It has been a while since I have done something silly. I think I am long overdue." Beckett inched her way to the edge. The heels of her feet were overhanging the edge of the pool now. Beckett raised herself up on her toes. "Let's get crazy," Beckett then performed a backwards somersault and landed into cool water. Just as she breached the surface and took a gulp of air she heard Alexis yell out.

"Worms,"

And suddenly she was engulfed in a wave of water.

* * *

><p>Authors note.: Just wanted to point out I am not a therapist, which may or may not be obvious. Just as Beckett is giving advice to Alexis based on her experiences I am doing the same here. My own experiences, that of others around me and research I have done. It may not be correct or not the same as what you have experienced. Sorry.<p>

If you are dealing with a loss, whether it be family, friend, pet or simply something that was very close and personal to you I encourage you seek help. Whether that help comes to you in the form of a book, tv show, friends, family or a professional. (or even a stranger online. Feel free to PM me or find me on Twitter Natalie NattieLizzie). Reach out. People do what to help. You don't have to go it alone.


	10. Finding your way home

**Authors Note: Hey fans. Sorry for the delay with the update. My beta was ill, then I was ill. Then I got caught up attending Adelaide ComicCon and then Melbourne ahhhhhhh so awesome . Then life got in the way with family, friends, Easter. Then for some unknown reason I got violently ill late Monday night. And I do mean violently but I won't go into yucky details. Finally feeling better this afternoon so I decided to check my over 300 emails and saw a nice surprise. A chapter from my beta. Here it is I hope you like it**

* * *

><p><em>Previously on Storm Clouds<em>

"_It just seems so silly."_

_Beckett nodded. Yeah it did. Jumping into the pool wasn't crazy enough but it was a start. If Alexis was going to do this then she needed a push. Not literally though._

"_Yeah it does," Beckett told her as she turned her back on the water. "It has been a while since I have done something silly. I think I am long overdue." Beckett inched her way to the edge. The heels of her feet were overhanging the edge of the pool now. Beckett raised herself up on her toes. "Let's get crazy," Beckett then performed a backwards somersault and landed into cool water. Just as she breached the surface and took a gulp of air she heard Alexis yell out._

"_Worms,"_

_And suddenly she was engulfed in a wave of water._

* * *

><p>Castle returned to his home in the Hamptons, his arms overflowing with bags of groceries. He had probably overdone it, but he didn't know how long they were going to be there. There was also the extra guest to accommodate who would expect to eat at least three meals a day. Alexis wasn't the only one who wasn't eating much. He just didn't feel like it if his daughter wasn't eating. Cooking for one seemed pointless and a waste of time. He had been ordering in the last few nights. Dumping the food on the kitchen counter, he looked around for his daughter. She was usually sitting on the couch staring at nothing or in her room studying. Seeing that she wasn't on the couch, he headed out to the pool to see if she were still there. If not, then he would leave her to study and only call her when lunch was ready.<p>

Walking out to the pool area, he frowned at the sight before him. His daughter was swimming in the pool with Beckett. Alexis hadn't been in the pool the whole time they had been there. He had told Beckett to bring her swimsuit in hopes that it would encourage Alexis into the water too. It had. He watched as his daughter got to the end and then pulled herself out. She turned around and dived back in and swam a fair distance underwater before breaking the surface and swimming to the other end. When she got there she pulled herself out and repeated what she had just done. Beckett was doing the same thing although she way staying under the water for almost the whole length of the pool. What was strange was that they were both still wearing their clothes, not swimsuits. His daughter emerged from the water and was plunging back into again before he could ask what was going on. When Beckett emerged from the water, he didn't hesitate to call out to her.

"Hey,"

Beckett turned to look at him. "Hey you're back. You took a while."

"What's going on? Why are you swimming in your clothes?"

Hearing the splashing of water, Beckett placed a finger over her lips.

"Hey Alexis, your dad is home. I'm going to help him make lunch. Keep swimming if you like."

Before his daughter had a chance to respond Beckett was walking over to him. "I'll explain later," she whispered to him as she wrung out her shorts and t shirt.

She walked into the kitchen and saw the bags on the counter. "Looks like you got everything."

"Why are you in your clothes? I am sure we have plenty of swimsuits in one of the spare rooms you. Surely one of them would have fit you."

Beckett shook her head. "We weren't swimming."

Castle frowned at her. "What exactly would you call it? Survival training?"

Beckett smiled and shrugged. "Something like that. I'll think I'll go and change into my swimsuit now. You should too. Having lunch out by the pool might be a nice idea."

Beckett ran up to her room and changed into her swimsuit. She pulled her white cover-up over the top before slipping her feet into a pair of flip flops. Going through her drawers, she pulled out a black octopus clip and spun her hair into a bun. She found using an elastic always left a dent in her hair, the clip didn't. As her hair dried, it would come out of the clip in nice natural curls. Not that she was worried about the way she looked. She was here to help Alexis. It didn't mean she had to look like a train wreck, though.

Beckett walked back into the empty kitchen and began to unload the groceries. She didn't know where everything went so she simply took them out of the bag and placed them on the bench. She noticed he had bought everything on her list as well as a few other things.

"Hey, you're a guest here. I don't expect you to work."

Beckett looked up to see Castle had now changed into a loose white t shirt and a pair of board shorts. She was definitely into this casual Castle.

"Unloading groceries is hardly working,"

Castle joined her at the bench and started taking items out. "No, but I'd consider having my daughter beat you up and swimming laps in your clothes, work. Want to explain that?"

Beckett looked out towards the pool area to see if Alexis was anywhere in the vicinity. She didn't want to betray the young woman's trust but she was there for a reason.

"Your daughter has a lot of anger that she just needed to get out. She also needed to vent. I had her yelling, screaming and punching. She looks like this little innocent girl, but she can sure pack a punch. I think it did her good. We talked a little, but mainly it's been a physical journey. She said she wanted to do something crazy and wanted to feel free. I know when my mother died I wanted to escape. Diving into a pool and swimming underwater always feels like I'm flying, like I'm free. I suggested it to Alexis and she seemed to like the idea."

"And you couldn't do that in a swimsuit?"

Beckett laughed. "I told you she wanted to do something crazy. Be happy I convinced her jumping into a pool fully clothed was crazy enough. I'm not sure you would have approved of pink hair, tattoo or drinking."

Castle raised his brows at her before he started laughing. Beckett was shocked. "What?" she asked.

"Just trying to think of you with pink hair. Please tell me it was an 80's style mullet."

Beckett laughed. "No, not that bad. I have photos; maybe I'll show you one day."

Castle shrugged. "Oh, I think I'd rather see your tattoo."

Beckett froze. The few men who had seen her tattoo asked about the significance of it. She usually told them she was drunk at the time. In actual fact, she had never been more sober.

"That right is reserved for only a few special people," she managed to get out.

Beckett waited for a witty retort but got none. She turned to look at him and saw his mouth gaping open. Well, well, well: she had shocked him into silence. "For a man of many words, you sure don't have much to say." Beckett took the bag from him and emptied the contents on the bench. Now that all the food was spread out, it gave her a better idea on what to make of lunch. "So you got all the ingredients I asked for?"

Castle looked at her but didn't respond, so she bumped him with her hip.

"Umm yeah. It was quite an extensive list. Popcorn I get, we eat a lot for movie night as well as chocolate. The rest was a bit all over the place. You asked for salmon but also pumpkin seeds. Red bell peppers and honey. I wasn't sure if you wanted fresh peppers or the ones in the jar so I got both. Also, bananas and apples like you requested. Fresh and frozen spinach as I wasn't sure what you wanted to use it for. Honestly, all these ingredients have me confused as to what you think you're going to make."

Beckett laughed. There were a lot of different types of ingredients. She had simply tried to remember as many as she could. "I'm not planning on making one meal from all of this. These are foods you probably want Alexis to be eating. They're all high energy foods. You say she isn't eating much, well when she does you want to make sure that she's getting enough energy. You could try and get her to drink energy drinks or give her supplements, but then she would know."

Castle nodded. "Okay, that makes sense, except she seems to have energy at the moment. Should she be doing that much exercise if she isn't eating much?"

Beckett shrugged. "Just keep an eye on her. I figured it was better than sitting around doing nothing. It's making her more relaxed and I'm hoping all that swimming will give her an appetite."

Castle looked out towards the pool then back at her. "You're incredible. You know that, right?"

Beckett put her head down and tucked an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm just doing what I can to help."

Castle took a step closer. "I know, and that's what makes you incredible. You don't have to be here and yet you are."

Beckett gulped at the close proximity of the man before her.

"Thank you for this. I can never repay you for what you are doing." He started leaning closer and Beckett took a deep breath. Castle reached past her and grabbed at something that wasn't her. "So what were we putting in these wraps?"

Beckett looked to see he had grabbed a bag of whole wheat wraps. "Everything," she told him.

She picked out the items she wanted to use and then got a few more out of the fridge. It surprised her how comfortable she was in the kitchen with this man. They worked together side by side, slicing and chopping the ingredients in preparation for the wraps. Once the prep work was done, she began throwing different ingredients in each one. She rolled them up then cut them in half and piled them all onto a large plate while Castle put everything away and tided up. Acting as the perfect gentleman, he offered to carry the heavy plate and orange juice, leaving her to carry the glasses.

They walked back outside just as Alexis dived into the again. Castle put the food down on a table and then rearranged the pool chairs.

"Alexis," Beckett called out. "Want to come and eat?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. Didn't we just eat breakfast?"

Beckett laughed. "That was hours ago. We swam for ages."

Alexis shrugged as she got out of the pool and walked over to them. She threw herself into a chair and sat down dripping wet. Castle picked up a wrap and went to offer it to his daughter but Beckett sent him a warning glare. She picked one up herself and took a bite.

"MMM I'm starving. First the running and then the swimming," she said between bites.

Castle bit into a wrap hesitantly, then took another huge bite before he had even swallowed his first. "God Beckett, you missed your calling as a cook. What did you put in these?"

Beckett laughed. "You saw me make them Castle. You cut up most of the ingredients."

"Yeh bu mmmmm." He mumbled between bites.

Beckett laughed and reached over and grabbed his hand with the almost-finished wrap in it. "That one was spinach, pickled peppers and chicken."

"Really?" he asked surprised, taking back his hand and popping the rest in his mouth. "This has spinach in it. What others did you make?"

"Ham, lettuce, cheese, mushroom and peppers I think. There is also chicken, lettuce, spinach, carrot and mayo. There's one where I just put in everything that was left over."

"Dad will like that one," Alexis told them. 'He's always mixing lots of weird combinations together."

Beckett nodded as she looked over the wraps and picked up the combination one and handed it to Castle. "Here you go. Leave the normal ones for us. Did you want one Alexis?"

The girl bit her lip. "Umm ,the one dad had sounded nice."

Beckett found the one she was after and handed it to Alexis. The young girl looked it over before taking a tentative bite just like she had with the hash brown. She looked up and saw them both looking at her. Beckett turned to Castle and tried to think of something to say. What did one talk to a person about? Like a real person, not a suspect you were interrogating. She really didn't know. Apart from Lanie, Ryan and Esposito, she didn't really have any friends either. When she did talk to the guys or Lanie, it was usually about work. Once Lanie had started dating Esposito, all sex talk was off the table. Mainly because she was the only who was getting any. Or shoes, she talked to Lanie about shoes. Beckett had dated, sorta. She could interact with people. What did one talk about on a date? The weather, politics and religion were big no nos. What else did that leave? Work!

"So Castle, when is your next book coming out?"

Beckett watched as the writer froze and suddenly looked sad. She turned to look at Alexis who was looking everywhere but at her.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Castle shook his head and put down his wrap. "No. It's just there isn't a book in the works at the moment. Hence my publisher yelling at me."

"Oh. I just assumed that was for your next book."

Castle shook his head. "No. Since I killed off Storm, I haven't been able to write much. Gina says I should never killed him off. She said it has killed my career."

"Well I don't know about your career but she is wrong about not killing him off."

Castle eyed her curiously. "Really?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well a lot of people were upset by it."

Beckett shrugged. "Well yeah, it was upsetting. He was a great character and ill miss him, but he was getting old, tired, boring."

"Boring. Yes," he announced jumping up. "Finally, someone gets it! I got bored with writing Storm and I figured people were bored with reading him. I wanted to create a new character that people would fall in love with."

"So how has that been going? Can you tell me about this character?"

Castle sighed. "Well, therein lies the problem, I haven't written them yet. I haven't been writing much."

"Yes, you have."

Beckett and Castle turned to look at Alexis. The wrap was now gone and she was reaching for another.

"What are you talking about Alexis?"

"I hear you at night when I wake up sometimes."

Castle shook his head. "I'm just typing nothing. Question marks like I sent Gina."

Alexis shook her head. "Dad, I've heard you typing since I was in the womb. I know the difference between writing and typing nothing. Plus I snuck a look at your laptop. Detective Fire Dad, really? What were you planning on calling the book? Fire Down Below?"

Beckett put her hand over her mouth to stop the food from pouring out. She then laughed into her hand. After taking a few steadying breaths, she swallowed her food.

"I hope you're referring to the Steven Seagal movie, Alexis." Castle asked her shocked.

Alexis shrugged as she stood up. "I may be, but your fans might not. Dad, just because this NYPD detective is sexy and hot doesn't mean you have to name her fire. Heat is believable but not fire. I'm going to go change and maybe sit in the spa for a bit to warm up. Thanks for the food Kate," she told them, waving with the wrap in her hand as she walked off, leaving the pair to their lunch.

"Did you hear that? She spoke and she made a joke. I mean, I'm not thrilled that she knows what fire down below means, but it's progress, right?"

Beckett nodded. "Yes it is, but don't get too excited. It's only been a few hours and a joke and some food isn't healed. Now tell me about this hot and sexy NYPD detective. Wouldn't be based on anyone I know, would it? Esposito's ego is bad enough as it is and Ryan would be impossible to work with."

"What? No! She's a female detective. Actually, she's kind of loosely based on you," he told warily.

This time Beckett did choke on her wrap. Castle offered her a glass of juice and she took it drinking almost all of it.

"Excuse me. What?" she eventually managed to get out.

"I've been looking for a new bad ass character to write about. I have travelled the world over trying to get inspiration, but it turns out I was looking in the wrong place. Maybe I should get arrested by the NYPD the next time I get blocked. It certainly worked this time."

"So you have been writing?" she asked frowning.

Castle nodded. "Yeah. Just bits here and there. Character development, back story that sort of thing."

Beckett raised her brows surprised. "So let me get this straight. This new bad ass sexy and hot detective. She is based on me?"

"Loosely."

"But that's what got you writing? Me." she asked.

Castle nodded "Well, yeah. You're daring and tenacious. You took on Slaughter when I was practically wetting my pants. I wanted to write someone who kicked ass and you certainly did that. Do you mind?"

Beckett laughed. "You wetting your pants, yeah I do."

Castle shook his head. "No. That the character is based on you. I'll change her name, it isn't right. Fire never seemed right but Heat had possibilities."

Beckett bit her lip. Richard Castle, her favorite author, was basing a character on her. Why? How? And when could she read it.

"If I said no, what would you do?"

Castle shrugged. "Stop writing her, I guess."

She should say no. Who knew what kind of character she would be? He wanted to name her Detective Fire, after all. One thing stuck in the back of her mind. He hadn't been writing at all. His last book had come out ages ago, and she had assumed his next was about to follow. It wasn't. He said he got bored writing Storm. Yet he seemed quite interested in writing this Fire character or Heat as Alexis suggested. She had helped him start writing again.

"Has writing helped?" she asked him.

"You mean dealing with Meredith and Alexis? Yeah it has. Writing has always been my escape, even when I was a kid. I've been so lost since I killed off Storm."

Beckett bit her lip. She knew exactly what that was like, to be so lost and have nowhere to escape. If he didn't write another book, then she would only be able to escape into his older work. Nothing new.

"Do you feel like you've found your way now?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm not there yet, but I feel like I am on the right path. Yeah."

Beckett bit her lip. He had found his path because of her just as he had helped her. "Write her." she told him. "Write her and find your way home."


End file.
